THE SPOILS OF WAR: GENEROUS DONORS FLOCK TO UZBEKISTAN
Iranian President Mohammad Khatami
conducted an official visit to Uzbekistan on April 26, the Uzbek Foreign Ministry\'s press
service reports. Khatami and Uzbek President Islam Karimov are scheduled to address
bilateral cooperation as well as regional security and stability. An inter-governmental
transport agreement will be signed during the visit. Iran has also supplied humanitarian
aid to the [Uzbek] Aral Sea region, consisting of water pumps and medicines. The visit of
the Iranian President was a reaction to the previous activities of different delegations
to Uzbekistan. Iran has started to realize that the position of Central Asia is
strengthening, and as a result, Iran is also trying to increase its profile in Central
Asia.
On March 16, Turkish delegation
visited Uzbekistan after three days of visit to Kyrgyzstan. The result of a meeting
between the head of the Turkish delegation, Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff of the
Turkish armed forces General Huseyin Kivrikoglu and President Islam Karimov was that
Turkey will provide military support in the amount of $1.5 million to Uzbekistan. On March
19, NATO Assistant Secretary-General Daniel Speckhard told journalists in Tashkent that
NATO is ready to help Uzbekistan restructure its armed forces.
It seems that Uzbekistan has got
international support in getting financial aid, though it is known for its strong
authoritarian regime. In January, a Chinese delegation visited Uzbekistan, pledging
financial aid in amount of $600 thousand. Only days later, Elizabeth Jones, U.S. assistant
secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs, announced that the United States
would extend financial assistance in the amount of US$ 160 million.
After September 11 , President
Karimov realized what kind of advantages Uzbekistan could get from the war against
international terrorism. Uzbekistan\'s firm support for the U.S. military forces and its
provision of an air base in Khanabad helped rejuvenate Uzbek-American relations. Comparing
financial assistance for 2001 and 2002 shows this clearly. In 2001 Kazakhstan was on top
regarding direct U.S. assistance, receiving $71,5 million. Tajikistan received $56,4
million, Kyrgyzstan $40,6 million, Turkmenistan $12,2 million. Uzbekistan got only $55,9
million. This year the proportion changed sharply, with Uzbekistan topping the list with
$161,8 million, whereas Kazakhstan received
$81,6 million, Tajikistan $85,3 million, Kyrgyzstan $49 million, and finally is
Turkmenistan, $16,4 million.
The war in Afghanistan has changed
the geopolitical order in Central Asian Region. Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan allied with the
United States, thereby reconsidering their foreign policy. China reviewed its policy in
the region and immediately sent delegations to Central Asia in January. Tashkent was the
main goal of the first trip, given the deployment of U.S. military forces. The second
Central Asian trip of Chinese delegation led by General Xiong Guangkai, the Chinese
People\'s Liberation Army\'s chief of staff for intelligence started with a visit to
Kyrgyzstan on 15 March, where he signed a protocol on military cooperation, and pledged
$1.2 million in aid to Kyrgyzstan\'s military forces. On March 16, a Chinese delegation
arrived in Kazakhstan, and Defense Minister Mukhtar Altynbaev announced that China pledged
$3 million to the Kazakh armed forces. It is obvious that such Chinese gifts are aimed to
strengthen its position in the Central Asian Region.
Likewise, Turkey has started
actively engaging in Central Asian affairs. In the recent past, Uzbek- Turkish relations
were relatively cold, due mainly to Turkish tolerance of Uzbek opposition leader Mukhammad
Solikh. But today, Turkey also has realized that it could capitalize on the war in
Afghanistan. The Chinese and Turkish visits to Central Asia are clearly a follow-up to
American expansion in the region. Today Islam Karimov is the best Central Asian friend of
Washington. Uzbekistan and the United States have signed a Declaration of Strategic
Partnership and Collaboration, which has several points concerning political, economic,
humanitarian, and security spheres. Today Uzbekistan is lucky to get necessary financial
aid to help its declining economy, and to combat the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan.
Indeed the war in Afghanistan broken down the old order in this region and it also brought
huge financial assistance to Central Asian States. Uzbekistan is only the prime example of
this way of collaboration. Who will be the next in this list of generous donors?
Rustam Mukhamedov
Copyright 2001 The Analyst.
All rights reserved
