Abstract
The central focus of this dissertation is an examination of the new regional character of the five post-Soviet Central Asian republics of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. In the first three postSoviet years, 1992-1994, the five states gradually lost their old monoregional character imposed on them by both tsarist and Soviet Russia. Not only have the five republics adopted, like most nation-states, multidirectional foreign policies, they have also acquired, unlike most nation-states, a polyregional character, in that they belong in some aspects to one region and in other aspects to another. Their polyregional character manifests itself in both the diversification of their first partners in the political, economic, military, and cultural spheres and in their
membership in parallel regional institutions.
In this study 6931 interactions which took place at the official state and governmental level in the period 1992-1994 are coded both among the five
republics and between them and each of Russia, Turkey, and Iran. I argue that the distribution of these interactions does not put any of the five states exclusively in one particular regional system, and that this is why they obtain their polyregional character.
After an introductory chapter, the first substantive chapter of this dissertation
develops an understanding of regional systems and how and why they change their character over time. The third chapter examines one of the three most plausible regional alternatives before the five republics; that is the perpetuation of regional ties with Russia. Chapter four looks at the alternative of regional amalgamation between the five republics and the Middle East. And chapter five probes the prospects for resuscitating the old Central Asian bond of Turkestan. Finally, in chapter six I compare the network of regional relations of each of the five states and show how they have been influenced by the factors of geographic contiguity, resemblance, and common issues.
membership in parallel regional institutions.
In this study 6931 interactions which took place at the official state and governmental level in the period 1992-1994 are coded both among the five
republics and between them and each of Russia, Turkey, and Iran. I argue that the distribution of these interactions does not put any of the five states exclusively in one particular regional system, and that this is why they obtain their polyregional character.
After an introductory chapter, the first substantive chapter of this dissertation
develops an understanding of regional systems and how and why they change their character over time. The third chapter examines one of the three most plausible regional alternatives before the five republics; that is the perpetuation of regional ties with Russia. Chapter four looks at the alternative of regional amalgamation between the five republics and the Middle East. And chapter five probes the prospects for resuscitating the old Central Asian bond of Turkestan. Finally, in chapter six I compare the network of regional relations of each of the five states and show how they have been influenced by the factors of geographic contiguity, resemblance, and common issues.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Qualification | Doctor of Philosophy |
| Publication status | Published - 1996 |
| Externally published | Yes |