KZBlog

I have been avoiding writing on the crisis in Georgia primarily because it doesn’t concern Kazakhstan particularly. That being said, Nazarbayev was one of the first Heads of State to make a statement urging for a peaceful and diplomatic resolution. And he made an interesting suggestion that other CIS nations should not be silent on this issue, claiming that any problem in the former Soviet Union should be dealt with by the CIS. One of the overall diplomatic issues infusing this crisis is Russia’s apparent policy that they still have a mandate to influence the CIS region and Georgia and the West’s rejection of the idea of satellite states and areas of influence.

I thought Nazarbayev presented an interesting and potentially viable compromise–that the CIS nations collectively should influence each other. That could lead to strengthening regional ties and diluting Russia’s (or any other one country’s) influence. For a region that often gets caught in a “Great Game” of influence between China, the US, and Russia as well as Iran and India to a limited extent, you would think that Central Asian nation and Caucus nations would want to counter this influence by uniting and working collectively. Of course the Shanghai Copperation Organization supposedly fills this role but many observers see the SCO as nothing more than a way for the larger powers of China and Russia to block Western influence and impose their collective will on smaller nations.

While there appear to be various historical, cultural, diplomatic and economic reasons why the CIS nations have not embraced unions except in limited alliances, I have always found it difficult to understand why many Central Asian nations do seem to support Russia’s policy of a mandate of interference in CIS nations.

Specifically, I would love to hear from readers in the comments, about why Kazakhstani appear to support Russia’s right to enter South Ossetia, Abkhazia and Georgia. Is it force of habit to support Russia? Is it a hatred of Georgia? Is it fear that NATO can invade Kazakhstan if it gets its hands on Georgia? To kick off discussion, I’ll give you some devil’s advocate questions:

• How would you feel if an oblast of Kazakhstan tried to declare independence and Russia sent in troops to support them?
• How would you feel if the US or China or another nation brought troops in to support South Ossetia?
• How is this different from Chechnaya’s struggle for independence?

I am asking for trouble, I realize. But I am dying of curiosity.