1,255
Views
0
CrossRef citations to date
0
Altmetric
Articles

THE “AFGHAN FACTOR” IN UZBEKISTAN’S FOREIGN POLICY: EVOLUTION AND THE CONTEMPORARY SITUATION

Pages 536-553 | Published online: 09 Aug 2021
 

Abstract

This article examines the historical development of Uzbekistan's stance on the situation in Afghanistan, outlines its main stages, achievements and challenges, investigates the major initiatives of Tashkent on solving conflict in the neighbouring country before and after 2016, the major priorities of its contemporary foreign policy towards the Afghan conflict, and the Uzbek government's expectations from the upcoming developments in Afghanistan.

Notes

1 Akram Umarov, ‘US-Central Asia: New Trilateral Dialogues Bring Regional Focus to Afghanistan’. The Diplomat, April 6, 2021. https://thediplomat.com/2021/04/us-central-asia-new-trilateral-dialogues-bring-regional-focus-to-afghanistan/ (accessed 22 June 2021).

2 ‘South Asia is one of the Priority Directions of Uzbekistan’s Foreign Policy in 2021’. Uzdaily.com, January 5, 2021. https://www.uzdaily.uz/en/post/62853 (accessed 25 June 2021).

3 Aleksey Asiryan, ‘New Faces, Old Patterns in Uzbekistan’s Foreign Policy’. The Diplomat, August 21, 2019. https://thediplomat.com/2019/08/new-faces-old-patterns-in-uzbekistans-foreign-policy/ (accessed 1 July 2021).

4 Michael Bothe and Andreas Fischer-Lescano, ‘Protego et obligo. Afghanistan and the Paradox of Sovereignty’. German Law Journal, Vol. 3. Issue 9 (2002). doi:10.1017/S2071832200015339.

5 Kenneth Katzman, ‘Afghanistan: Current Issues and U.S. Policy’. Congressional Research Service, 2002, p. 8.

6 ‘United States Policy Toward Afghanistan’. US Congress House, Committee on Foreign Affairs, Subcommittee on Europe and the Middle East. 101st Congress, 2nd session, 7 March 1990. Washington DC: US government Printing Office, 1990.

7 Алексей Князев, История афганской войны 1990-х годов и превращение Афганистана в источник угроз для Центральной Азии. Бишкек, 2002. [Aleksej Knjazev, Istorija afganskoj vojny 1990-h godov i prevrashhenie Afganistana v istochnik ugroz dlja Central'noj Azii. Bishkek, 2002].

8 Ahmed Rashid, Taliban: Militant Islam, Oil and Fundamentalism in Central Asia. London: Yale University Press, 2000.

9 Eric Lichtblau, ‘State Department Says It Warned About bin Laden in 1996’. New York Times, August 17, 2005.

10 Kristin Fjæstad and Heidi Kjærnet, ‘Performing Statehood: Afghanistan as an Arena for Central Asian States’. Central Asian Survey, Vol. 33. Issue 3 (2014): 312-328. DOI:10.1080/02634937.2014.941713.

11 Andrew C. Kuchins and Jeffrey Mankoff, ‘Central Asia in a Reconnecting Eurasia: U.S. Policy Interests and Recommendations’. Center for Strategic and International Studies, May 11, 2015. https://csis-website-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/legacy_files/files/publication/150507_Kuchins_CentralAsiaSummaryReport_Web.pdf (accessed 30 June 2021).

12 Akram Umarov, ‘Central Asia: Construction of the New Regional Security Complex?’. The Journal of Cross-Regional Dialogues/La Revue de dialogues inter-régionaux, Special Issue (2020): 69-82. https://popups.uliege.be/2593-9483/index.php?id=135.

13 ‘Назначен Спецпредставитель Президента Узбекистана по Афганистану’. Газета.уз, 25 мая 2017. [‘Naznachen Specpredstavitel' Prezidenta Uzbekistana po Afganistanu’. Gazeta.uz, May 25, 2017.] https://www.gazeta.uz/ru/2017/05/25/afghanistan/ (accessed 16 June 2021).

14 ‘Стратегическое видение Президента Шавката Мирзиёева вопросов обеспечения региональной безопасности и решения афганской проблемы’. Народное слово, 29 февраля 2020. [‘Strategicheskoe videnie Prezidenta Shavkata Mirziyoyeva voprosov obespechenija regional'noj bezopasnosti i reshenija afganskoj problemy’. Narodnoe slovo, February 29, 2020.] https://uza.uz/ru/posts/strategicheskoe-videnie-prezidenta-shavkata-mirziyeeva-vopro-29-02-2020 (accessed 20 June 2021).

15 ‘Афганистан сможет увеличить товарооборот на 50% благодаря ж/д Мазари-Шариф–Герат’. Агентство новостей «Podrobno.uz», 23 марта 2018. [‘Afganistan smozhet uvelichit' tovarooborot na 50% blagodarja zh/d Mazari-Sharif–Gerat’. News Agency «Podrobno.uz», March 23, 2018.] http://podrobno.uz/cat/economic/afganistan-smozhet-uvelichit-tovarooborot-na-50-blagodarya-zh-d-mazari-sharif-gerat-/ (accessed 11 June 2021).

16 Элдор Арипов, ‘«Мазари-Шариф — Пешавар»: коридор в новое будущее Центральной и Южной Азии’. Газета.уз, 11 февраля 2021. [Eldor Aripov, ‘“Mazari-Sharif — Peshavar”: koridor v novoe budushchee Central'noj i Yuzhnoj Azii’. Gazeta.uz, February 11, 2021.] https://www.gazeta.uz/ru/2021/02/11/route/ (accessed 12 June 2021).

17 ‘«Узбекэнерго» приступило к строительству новой ЛЭП в Афганистан за $150 млн’. ИА «Spot.uz», 24 марта 2018. [‘“Uzbekenergo” pristupilo k stroitel'stvu novoj LEP v Afganistan za $150 mln’. IA «Spot.uz», March 24, 2018.] https://www.spot.uz/ru/2018/03/24/afgan/ (accessed 12 June 2021).

18 ‘Узбекистан будет участвовать в проекте ТАПИ’. ИА «Газета.uz», 23 апреля 2018. [‘Uzbekistan budet uchastvovat' v proekte TAPI’. IA «Gazeta.uz», April 23, 2018.] https://www.gazeta.uz/ru/2018/04/23/tapi/ (accessed 9 June 2021).

19 ‘За прошедшие 30 лет численность населения увеличилась в 6 бывших союзных республиках, в 9 она сократилась’. Демоскоп Weekly Института демографии Национального исследовательского университета «Высшая школа экономики», № 833 – 834 от 4 - 17 ноября 2019. [‘Za proshedshie 30 let chislennost' naseleniya uvelichilas' v 6 byvshih soyuznyh respublikah, v 9 ona sokratilas'’. Demoskop Weekly Instituta demografii Nacional'nogo issledovatel'skogo universiteta «Vysshaya shkola ekonomiki», № 833 – 834, November 4 – 17, 2019.] http://www.demoscope.ru/weekly/2019/0833/barom02.php (accessed 13 June 2021).

20 Li Ping Luo, ‘Demographic Divergence’. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 2016. https://www.rferl.org/a/27927989.html#:~:text=Twenty%2Dfive%20years%20after%20its,a%20lower%20estimate%20than%20Nigeria's (accessed 11 June 2021).

21 ‘Southern Asia Population’. Worldometer, February 2021. https://www.worldometers.info/world-population/southern-asia-population/ (accessed 21 June 2021).

22 Mateen Haider, ‘Afghan President Wants ‘Real and Honest Friendship' with Pakistan’. Dawn, November 10, 2014. http://www.dawn.com/news/1143505 (accessed 13 June 2021).

23 Umarov, ‘US-Central Asia: New Trilateral Dialogues Bring Regional Focus to Afghanistan’, op.cit.

24 The opinions expressed here are the author’s own and do not represent those of University of World Economy and Diplomacy or any other public institution in Uzbekistan.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Akram Umarov

Dr Akram Umarov is Senior Research Fellow at the University of World Economy and Diplomacy, Uzbekistan. He is the author of Afghanistan and Regional Security of Central Asia: The Beginning of XXI Century (UWED, 2017). He specializes in security studies, conflict management, Central Asian studies, peace and development. Email: [email protected]

Log in via your institution

Log in to Taylor & Francis Online

PDF download + Online access

  • 48 hours access to article PDF & online version
  • Article PDF can be downloaded
  • Article PDF can be printed
USD 53.00 Add to cart

Issue Purchase

  • 30 days online access to complete issue
  • Article PDFs can be downloaded
  • Article PDFs can be printed
USD 296.00 Add to cart

* Local tax will be added as applicable

Related Research

People also read lists articles that other readers of this article have read.

Recommended articles lists articles that we recommend and is powered by our AI driven recommendation engine.

Cited by lists all citing articles based on Crossref citations.
Articles with the Crossref icon will open in a new tab.