Treść książki
Przejdź do opcji czytnikaPrzejdź do nawigacjiPrzejdź do informacjiPrzejdź do stopki
8
Opinion&Analysis
ThenewGreatGamethatisnot,FilippoCostaBuranelli
thecompetitionbetweentheabovementionedstatestovieforinfluenceoverand
intheregion,aswellastotheconflictsthattheirdińerentstrategiesmayelicitin
thenearfuture.IntheGreatGamenarrative,thefiveCentralAsianrepublicsof
Kazakhstan,Kyrgyzstan,Tajikistan,TurkmenistanandUzbekistanaretheboard
onwhichthegameisplayed.
Yet,theproblemliesexactlyinthefactthatametaphor,bydefinition,isasim-
plifiedtranslationofrealityintofigurativeimages.Inthatsense,whatdoesthe
metaphorofaugame”suggest?Firstofall,itshowsthegameasanobjective.Sec-
ond,itsuggeststhatthegamehasrulesthatstructureandregulateit.Tird,these
rulesaremeanttoensurethatthegamehasspecificandagreedonparticipants.
Tequestiontoasknowis:dotheseconditionsapplytothepresentinternational
politicalsituationofCentralAsia?
BeyondAfghanistan
Ifthegamehasobjectives,itusuallyalsohasprizes.TeUS’sstrategyinthe
regionformanyyearshasbeenthatoflinkingCentralAsiatoAfghanistantode-
velopacordonsanitairearoundthewar-tornstate.Tiswouldbereachedviaa
militarypresenceaswellaseconomicco-operation,de-militarisationofborders,
creationofmultilateralformats,slowtransitiontowardsmoreeńective,transpar-
entanddemocraticgovernanceandthedevelopmentofhumanitarianandcultural
co-operation.
Yet,thisreadingofCentralAsia,oftendubbedGreaterCentralAsiaortheNew
SilkRoad,doesnotmeettheobjectivesofRussiaandChina,whichforsecurity
reasonsprefertokeepAfghanistanoutoftheregionalframework.Itisnotby
chancethatAfghanistanisnotpartoftheRussia-ledCollectiveSecurityTreaty
Organisation(CSTO)aswellasoftheChina-ledShanghaiCo-operationOrgani-
sation(SCO),aninternationalgroupdevotedtotacklingextremism,separatism
andterrorism.CentralAsianstates,however,seemlessinterestedinmultilateral
formats,espicallywhenitcomestoAfghanistanrelyingmoreonbilateralco-
operationwiththesouthernneighbour.
Specifically,CentralAsianrepublicshaverejectedanoverlyregionalagenda,
insteadlookingatwaystoemphasisetheirdińerencesandadvancetheirown
perceivedcountry-specificinterestsandobjectiveswhilealsoassertingtheirown
individualimportanceandstrength.ArecentCarnegieEndowmentreporttitled
uUncertainContinuity:CentralAsiaandtheTrumpAdministration”discusseshow
transformingCentralAsianstatesintodemocratic,free-marketeconomiesknitted
togetherbyregionaleconomicintegrationwillremainagreatchallenge.Further-
