Holding of EAPC Security Forum in Astana of big practical and symbolic significance – expert

EAPC is a unique forum of 46 states from the USA to Central Asia. In 1992 Kazakhstan joined the EAPC that was created to establish cooperation with the countries of Eastern Europe and former USSR. After the events of September 11, 2001 NATO's attention toward Central Asia intensified. New approaches toward cooperation promote activation of Kazakhstan that considers the partnership with NATO as one of its foreign policy priorities in the sphere of security.

Holding of the EAPC Security Forum in Astana has big practical and symbolic significance. In practice it boosts Kazakhstan's cooperation with NATO and other Euro-Atlantic institutions. Symbolically, this event once again testifies to Central Asia's important role in the system of Euro-Atlantic and Euro-Asian security as well as shows interest of the West in interaction with Kazakhstan.

According to many experts, currently Central Asia is in the epicenter of instability. Developments in this region will reflect the situation at the global level. Do you think that the situation, particularly in the field of security, is so dramatic?

Central Asia, which is situated at the interface of Europe and Asia, holds an important position that was for a long time the objective of strategists and still remains in focus of NATO's attention. However, the forced evacuation of American forces from Uzbekistan and planned tension of Tashkent in relation to the stay of other forces of the Alliance (those of Germany) on the territory of Uzbekistan changes the military-political configuration with NATO's participation in the region. Obviously, the significance of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, and in future - Turkmenistan - increases for the West.

They say that the treatment of security as a system of military-political measures went out of date. In this context the security in the central part of Eurasia should be based not so much on the military control, but on economic pragmatism. It will help to prevent future traps. Do you agree with such opinion?

No I don't agree. Security problems for our region become more and more urgent. Geopolitical changes that occurred in the world and our region have influence upon the development of our country as well as the progress of political developments in the international aspect. Making a breakthrough to the XXI century the world community faced new threats, which can be overcome through joint efforts of states and international organizations as the UN, OSCE, NATO, CSTO, SCO and etc.

In our region this problem acquires new dimension connected with the SCC activity and presence of China. We can forecast that the main task for NATO in the region will be the attempt to institutionalize relations with the SCO, i.e. to find and establish a form of interaction with the organization (in fact between Moscow and Beijing). It is entirely possible that Brussels will lay emphasis on bilateral cooperation (with Central Asian participants of the SCO).

In the light of existing NATO's problems, Central Asia is probably the only region on the planet where all NATO members act in relative unison. Today the organization has the following strategic goals on this territory: to support local regimes in transit to democracy through the Individual Action Plan; strengthen regional cooperation in the field of security; create effective system of struggle against potential threats including terrorism, drug trafficking, arms smuggling, religious extremism and other crimes.

Without settlement of the Afghan situation it is hardly possible to speak about the safe future for Central Asia. What formats of interaction do Kazakhstan and NATO have in the Afghan direction? How will the situation in Afghanistan develop?

Since August 2003 NATO has lead the international force on security promotion in Afghanistan and now it expands its presence in this country. The Alliance will also help the Afghan authorities ensure security in the parliamentary election. Currently NATO renders support in provision of security nearly on the half of the Afghan territory (north and west).

Besides, Afghanistan is still one of the most important factors of the military-political security in Central Asia. Some periods of stabilization alternate with war outbreaks. This country remains a main producer of hard drugs in the world. Its drugs are largely distributed throughout the Central Asian states.

Today there exist two diametrically opposite opinions in relation to the settlement of the Afghanistan conflict. The first one presupposes that the settlement of the conflict and peacemaking is possible only after withdrawal of all foreign troops from the country; the second one says that the stabilization of the situation and conflict resolution can be reached through the total defeat of Taliban movement.

Making evaluation of prospects of the Afghanistan situation development it is necessary to take into account its connection with the processes in other regions, particularly the Middle East and Iraq. 

Kazakhstan and the Central Asian states are interested in further NATO's military presence in Afghanistan for stabilization of the situation. However, the West will soon or late raise the question of expansion of Central Asia's participation in rehabilitation of Afghanistan. Then the countries of the region will have to make a difficult political and economic choice.