Central Asia a Cradle of Civilization

Central Asia has been cradle of civilization. It’s conjointly been a gathering ground of assorted cultures - Slavic, Sinic, Turkic, Persian, Arab and Indian. As a intersection between East, West, North and South, it’s enjoyed a unambiguously vital location in Asia and served because the route for exchange of products and merchandise additionally as faith and culture. Mackinder’s notion of Eurasian ‘Heartland’ was simply a conceptualization of its significance. Not amazingly the region has been Associate in Nursing arena of politics and geo-economic tilt among nice powers. It witnessed confrontation between land and therefore the Russian Empires within the nineteenth century, popularly called nice Game. It absolutely was a part of czaristic Russia and country for quite a century, that brought basic changes within the political, economic and socio-cultural lifetime of the realm.

The Soviet disintegration in 1991 result in the emergence of not simply 5 freelance countries, however a brand new politics region within the world politics. The 5 countries went through troublesome transition from a state controlled command economy to a economic system and from a 1 party system to varied reminder political regimes, that have with success maintained a mostly stable and profane polity and followed balanced and nuanced policy. encircled by 2 nice powers Russia and China, beneath the shadow of unstable and terrorist prone Af-Pak region and within the section of Persia and therefore the Arab world, the achievements of the Central Asian countries will be represented as commendable.

The journal World Focus has strived to contribute to the educational discourse with Indo-centric world affairs. This special issue of the journal is on ‘Geopolitics of Energy in Central Asia’. It presents choice of articles by specialists, students and researchers. Deliberating on energy connected problems in Central Asia, the articles trot out varied interests of regional and world players in Central Asia - competition additionally as cooperation. Central Asia’s energy potential has been critically assessed and therefore the challenges that lie ahead are highlighted. India’s doable choices to find fruitful engagement with the Central Asian states are forbidden. Some non-traditional themes have conjointly been coated. The impact of oil-gas based mostly economies on setting and society has been mentioned.

Central Asia is blessed with vital resource of oil and gas, primarily on the market in Kazakhstan and Turkmenia, and Asian nation, to a lesser extent. Although it’s no match for the oil and gas resources of the gulf, the Central Asian region is very important as various sources of energy, and since of its proximity to the big energy customers (China, Europe and India). This has created it the main focus and locus of divergent interests of the massive powers.

Russia had dominance over Central Asia’s energy market. it absolutely was through Russian pipelines, that the oil and gas of Central Asia were transported to Europe, even within the post-Soviet era. With the increase in energy costs and vital investment in infrastructure associated with the energy sector, the region witnessed a comparatively stable economic process. The countries tried to cut back their dependence on Russia, and went on to forge energy ties with different countries. China has become major businessperson of oil and gas from the region. It’s conjointly invested with extensively within the energy connected infrastructure within the region. The North American nation involvement, in contrast to the opposite major powers, is additional attributable to its strategic interest. The growing trend towards the renewable sources of energy has conjointly gained prominence within the region. Central Asian states have vital potential of electricity. Republic of Tajikistan and Kirgiz, being upstream countries, are the key electricity suppliers.

India despite having sturdy cultural and historical ties, has did not build a major presence within the region (much of it will be attributed to the dearth of direct land connection). There has been restricted Indian investment within the Central Asian energy market. so Bharat is in no position to challenge the dominance of China and Russia within the region. For higher property and to access the gas reserves of the region there are 2 bold comes - International North South passageway (INSTC) and therefore the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) pipeline. How briskly the previous will be operationalized and becomes economically viable and whether or not the latter can see the sunshine of the day are moot queries.