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Almost a year after the adoption of the EU Strategy on Central Asia, the prioritization of issues within EU-Central Asian cooperation have become clearer. The planning stage of the strategy was marked by a controversy between proponents of an interest-based approach focusing on energy and security, led by Germany; and supporters of a value-based approach that stressed the importance of human rights and democratization, led by the UK, Ireland, the Netherlands and Sweden. Hence, the strategy paper represented the minimal consensus among member states. Today, in spite of rhetoric, it has become clearer that in the implementation stage of the strategy the proponents of realpolitik have prevailed.

China showed little interest in Afghanistan throughout the 20^th century but its growing energy and natural resource demand combined with increasing Afghan openness to foreign investors have alerted Beijing of the country’s potentials. This growing interest was particularly manifested with Beijing’s giant $3.5 billion investment in Afghanistan’s Aynak copper field late last year, the far largest foreign direct investment in Afghanistan’s history. Reports from Kabul also indicate that additional Chinese investments are underway. Although these investments may be the engine in Afghanistan’s economy, the Chinese piggy-backing on ISAF’s stabilization effort is bound to be unpopular in the U.S. and Europe, though not necessarily with the Afghan government.

In the 2006 presidential elections, Tajikistan’s President Emomali Rakhmon won roughly 80% of the vote. Although elections were staged in the absence of significant competition, both the government and opposition still believed that Rakhmon enjoyed the population’s solid support. Two years past the elections, however, Rakhmon seems to be squandering his popularity, especially following an energy crisis this winter and rising costs for food products. Sporadic protests against the government’s inability to supply electricity and water are held across the country. The most alarming sign of breeding public discontent are recent protests in Kulyab, Rakhmon’s native place and his major support base.

Kazakh leaders see establishing good ties with neighboring Uzbekistan as essential for advancing their regional integration agenda. In March 2006, President Nursultan Nazarbayev observed, “The geopolitical situation in our region and the future of integration processes among our neighbors depends on Kazakh-Uzbek relations.” The April 22-23 summit between Nazarbayev and Uzbek President Islam Karimov, however, demonstrated that Uzbekistan will not soon endorse Kazakhstan’s multinational initiatives.