DUSHANBE: Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet Central Asian leaders in Tajikistan on Thursday for only the second such summit since the Soviet Union’s collapse.
This gathering occurs as Moscow competes with China and Europe for influence in a region where Russia’s historic dominance has weakened due to the Ukraine war.
At the first summit with Central Asia’s five leaders in 2022, Putin received strong criticism from Tajikistan’s president who accused Moscow of neglecting post-Soviet states.
China and Europe have moved quickly to fill the emerging power vacuum in Central Asia.
Both powers have held high-level summits in the region this year while seeking expanded access to its substantial natural resources.
Putin is scheduled to arrive in Tajikistan on Wednesday ahead of the formal meetings.
The leaders of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan will all attend Thursday’s meeting in Dushanbe.
Central Asian countries plan to use the summit to advance their national positions according to Kazakhstan’s foreign ministry.
They also aim to build trust with Russia and develop stronger trade relationships during the discussions.
Russia has expressed expectations for significant and interesting results from the upcoming talks.
All five Central Asian nations maintain close cultural and economic connections with Russia.
The region hosts millions of Russian speakers while millions of Central Asian migrants work in Russia’s labour-intensive industries.
Russia is scheduled to construct Kazakhstan’s first nuclear power plant and maintains largely friendly neighbour relations.
After more than a century of Russian domination, Central Asia’s republics increasingly look beyond their former imperial ruler for trade and security partnerships.
The region now turns more frequently to China and Turkey for military equipment supplies.
The European Union announced a 14 billion dollar investment package for Central Asia following its April summit.
Neighbouring China has established a strong regional presence through its massive Belt and Road Initiative infrastructure project.
Russia claims it does not compete with Beijing for Central Asian influence according to official statements.
The rivalry with other powers including Europe remains difficult to ignore according to Kyrgyz-based analyst Ilya Lomakin.
He described the situation as the latest iteration of the so-called New Great Game historical power struggle.
Whether Russia can maintain its regional position let alone expand it remains uncertain he added.
At the previous Central Asia-Russia summit in October 2022, Tajik leader Emomali Rakhmon demanded Russia show respect in a lengthy tirade.
He emphasized that although Central Asian nations are small they possess history and culture deserving of respect.
Putin responded that he largely agreed with Rakhmon’s comments and called for focus on concrete matters. – AFP