About the CARs:
- The CARs includes Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.
- The collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 created these countries.
- The whole subregion is land-locked, thus making all CA countries land (and/or air) transport dependent.
Boundary: It is flanked by the Russian Federation in the North, China and Mongolia in the East, and Islamic Republic of Iran and Pakistan in the South.
- The Caspian Sea at the subregion’s western boundaries provides some water transport connections,
- Leading to Ukraine and further to Europe (possibly to the countries of the Mediterranean basin).
- To the Russian Federation and the Baltic Republics in the North.
Significance:
- Central Asia sits at the heart of Eurasia and, historically, made up half of the ancient Silk Route.
- The region is strategically vital for many countries like China, Russia, India, the US and Europe, as it served as a pivot for geopolitical transformations within the world island.
The “New Great Game” in Central Asia—characterised by fierce competition between various states all aiming to increase their influence, hegemony and power over the region.
- In this ‘game’, the important players are Russia, the US, European Union (EU), China, Turkey, Iran and India.
- Many analysts point to India and China as the two major players in the “new great game” in Central Asia.
- China has perhaps the biggest economic footprint in the CARs region, principally owing to its massive project, the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
- India has started reviving its old civilisational links with the region, laying the groundwork for building trust and goodwill by extending assistance through capacity building and human resource development, in the areas of information technology, pharmaceuticals, and healthcare.
