By Dmitry Shlapentokh (3/21/2012 issue of the CACI Analyst)

While Kyrgyzstan has expressed a desire to join Russia’s Eurasian Union in the future, a close analysis of Kyrgyz foreign policy indicates that it, similar to other Central Asian states who have expressed an interest in the project, regards increased integration with Russia as just one among many possibilities. They could easily change the direction of their geopolitical orientations if they do not receive the benefits expected from Moscow.

By Myles G. Smith (3/7/2012 issue of the CACI Analyst)

The signature infrastructure project of Kyrgyzstan’s new leadership is a 268 kilometer railroad line that would link China with Kyrgyzstan’s southern provinces and Uzbekistan. President Atambayev insists that Kyrgyzstan would profit greatly from inter-regional transit trade if the US$ 2 billion-plus line were built. Restrictions on Kyrgyzstan’s once lucrative practice of re-exporting Chinese goods to Russia and Kazakhstan have been increasingly curtailed by new Customs Union rules, leaving Bishkek searching for new sources of national income and employment.

By Konstantin Preobrazhensky (3/7/2012 issue of the CACI Analyst)

Abkhazia and South Ossetia are both highly dependent on Russian economic, political, and military support, and it would be natural for Russia to introduce its own system of governance by “siloviki,” the officers of power ministries, in these regions. However, most high officials in Abkhazia and South Ossetia represent only one power ministry: the FSB. Officers from other power ministries, such as the Army or police, are very rare on high governmental positions.