The economic, political, and geopolitical future of Central Asia has been the subject of much speculation since the region emerged from under the Soviet banner. This book offers systematic, informed analysis of the most important issues and choices facing the region.
Boris Rumer's lead chapter outlines the main factors and trends of political-economic development in the new states of Central Asia and evaluates the potential for regional integration and reintegration with Russia from both Central Asian and Russian points of view.
Chapter 2, by Oksana Reznikova of the Institute of World Economy and International Relations (IMEMO) in Moscow, looks at the role of transnational corporations in the exploitation of the region's natural resources. Chapter 3 by Stanislas Zhukov, also from IMEMO, analyzes macroeconomic indicators for 1992-95 to compile a grim picture of the economic condition and prospects of the region and its states.
The next chapters are devoted to country studies evaluating current policies and feasible alternative strategies for economic development in Uzbekistan (Rustam Dosumov), Kyrgyzstan (Turar Koychuev), and Kazakhstan (Arystan Esentugelov, with a rejoinder by Erik Asanbaev).
In Chapter 8, comparative economist Yasutami Shimomura of Japan analyzes the lessons of East Asian Development models, and particularly the Chinese and Vietnamese experience, for the Central Asian economies, and a brief concluding chapter by the editor puts the region in geostrategic perspective.