OPINION:
As 2021 draws to a close, America’s station in the world is precarious. The Afghan withdrawal debacle and the ongoing crisis in Ukraine are just two of the geopolitical challenges giving friends and foes alike reason to question the U.S. resolve. To avoid future retreats, Washington must restore credibility in Eurasia and pursue broader, deeper and more proactive engagement with the entire expanse of post-Soviet states.
Post-Soviet Central Asia, bordering Russia, China, Afghanistan and Iran, will be a critical geostrategic area for U.S. policymakers for years to come. In Central Asia, the U.S. needs to expand key relationships. What Washington requires today is not new bases but rather a greater and more enduring economic-political presence. It also needs strong working partnerships with key regional players.
Celebrating 30 years of independence this month, Kazakhstan, a country that spans from the borders of Europe to China, continues to punch above its geopolitical weight. Its measured policies, moderate (mostly secular) Muslim population, large size and dynamic economy make it a worthy partner for the United States — the first to recognize the new nation in 1991.
For the past three decades under first president Nursultan Nazarbayev — and now his successor President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev — Kazakhstan has pursued several progressive and pragmatic policies that have led it to become a regional economic and diplomatic leader. These include its exemplary policies of forswearing nuclear weapons, championing nuclear non-proliferation and the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, conducting an even-handed foreign policy that balances great power influences peacefully. Furthermore, it has become a beacon for mediation and resolution of outstanding contemporary conflicts, including in Syria and Iran.
Today, Kazakhstan boasts a nominal GDP per capita of $9,500 — higher than Mexico or Turkey. Building on Mr. Nazarbayev’s market reforms, the country is now a leader in regional financial services through the creation of the Astana International Financial Center. The business hub provides funding for renewable energy projects, tech startups and digitization through a number of financial instruments and vehicles.
The U.S. is the second-largest annual foreign investor in Kazakhstan at $2.1 billion, behind only the Netherlands ($3.3 billion). This relationship dates to the early 1990s beginning with Exxon Mobil and Chevron, who helped develop the country’s vast hydrocarbon reserves. Indeed, trade and economic cooperation in energy, agriculture and new technologies are increasing between the two nations. This is a promising trend in a neighborhood sandwiched between the Russian Bear and Chinese Dragon. It is, therefore, in Washington’s best interest to encourage both the private sector and governmental agencies like the Development Finance Corporation and Import-Export Bank to direct more investment to the heart of Eurasia.
The conditions for furthering cooperation are traceable to long-term projects inaugurated by the Nazarbayev administration. The Bolashak Presidential Scholarship Program embodies investment in human capital that stems from the Kazakh leaders’ recognition of the need for highly educated foreign language speaking elites to help propel Kazakhstan further into the modern world. When the students return, they must work for five years or more at home. Students gain training in business, international law and international relations, and the STEM fields. Since 1993, over 12,898 Kazakhstani students have received Bolashak Scholarships. Nearly half of the 83 educational institutions that have reached agreements with Kazakhstan are in the United States. Enhancing people-to-people relationships is a well-known basis for strengthening international partnerships and investment.
These programs, however, need expansion and steady attention from both Washington and Nur-Sultan. Moreover, they are not purely altruistic. Kazakhstan’s policymakers are cognizant of the enduring threats to their country’s independence, sovereignty and even territorial integrity, and seek enhanced ties with Washington to preserve their statehood.
For this reason, Kazakhstan has also become a strong proponent of Central Asian cooperation. This initiative has gained considerable momentum in the last few years and now resulted in the Kazakhstan-Uzbekistan newly proclaimed alliance. The renowned C5+1 forum of the U.S. Secretary of State and the regional foreign minister was, in fact, a brainchild of Mr. Nazarbayev. Increased cooperation will be needed in the wake of the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan to address the security challenges and extremist threats that will surely emanate from the failed state. U.S. reengagement with the region would reduce the necessity of seeking Russian and/or Chinese security guarantees that always come with a price.
Thus, there is mutual interest for an enhanced U.S. presence in Central Asia that supports economic and political liberalization and regional integration. As we celebrate the 30th anniversary of Central Asia’s emergence from the Soviet Union, the United States should seek to maintain and build strong regional partnerships in this increasingly strategic part of the world. Economically and politically reformist Kazakhstan — a friend of 30 years — is the clear choice for the anchor of America’s policy in Eurasia.
• Stephen Blank is a senior fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute.
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