Seventh Meeting of Astana Club Puts Global Relations into Spotlight

Concerning the challenges confronting Central Asian countries, Frankopan underlined that much relies on which of the neighbors is prioritized – Russia or China. According to the expert, the Central Asian countries’ rising need to maneuver between Moscow and Beijing leads them to employ a more sophisticated approach in their foreign policy strategy.

Balancing between major non-regional parties would be critical for Central Asian and Caucasus countries’ economic aspirations, said renowned economist Nouriel Roubini, emeritus professor of economics at New York University.

Given the current geopolitical processes in Eurasia, the Director of the Indo-Pacific Security Program at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS) Lisa Curtis said that the United States and the European Union had a window of opportunity to intensify policy toward Central Asia. The promotion of the trans-Caspian transport and energy corridor will receive particular focus.

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