U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken pledged support Tuesday for Kazakhstan’s independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity as he made his first visit to Central Asia as the top U.S. diplomat.
“Sometimes we just say those words and they actually have no meaning. And of course, in this particular time, they have even more resonance than usual,” Blinken said as he met with Kazakh Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tileuberdi in Astana.
Ahead of the trip, the Biden administration said it was focused on supporting independence and sovereignty of the region’s five former Soviet republics, which maintain strong political, economic, and socio-cultural ties with Russia.
Blinken’s schedule Tuesday includes a meeting of the C5+1, a diplomatic dialogue launched in 2015 with Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan to boost regional cooperation.
As he began a meeting with Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Blinken said he looked forward to engaging with foreign ministers from the group in “ever-more practical work in bringing the region together, creating greater connections, connectivity, and focusing on practical things that we can do to strengthen that work.”
U.S. officials say the trip is an opportunity to reach out and try to improve alliances as the United States tries to further isolate Russia for invading Ukraine. But democracy supporters also are urging the United States to promote systemic reforms, arguing that accountability, openness, and the rule of law are prerequisites for ensuring the region’s long-term security and prosperity.
Strategic move
Richard Hoagland, a former ambassador to Kazakhstan and Tajikistan, sees Blinken’s trip “as a welcome reminder to the Central Asian leaders that U.S. foreign policy is paying attention while they grapple with their traditionally dominant partner, Russia, because of [President Vladimir] Putin’s criminal war in Ukraine.”
“Washington has no desire to supplant Moscow in Central Asia,” Hoagland told VOA. “But it does want to remind the leaders of the region that the United States has not forgotten their multi-vector foreign policy and continues to be a reliable partner.”
Assistant Secretary of State Donald Lu, a senior policy official traveling with Blinken to the region this week, adds that Russia’s war in Ukraine has put enormous pressure on these countries.
“We see high food and fuel prices, high unemployment, difficulty in exporting their goods, slow post-COVID recovery, and a large influx of migrants from Russia. We are working to support people in the region,” Lu told reporters in a briefing last week.
In meetings with Kazakh and Uzbek leaders, Blinken was due to focus on security issues and economic cooperation, while also urging leaders to speed up promised reforms.
“Advancing human rights in Central Asia has always been a top priority of the United States. We are committed to supporting the protection of vulnerable populations in Central Asia. That includes refugees, asylum seekers, LGBTQI+ persons, women, and girls,” Lu said.
In both Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, despite progress in recent years, the State Department’s human rights reports as well as international watchdogs point to widespread violations of basic freedoms, specifically by law enforcement and other authorities.
U.S. assistance
With Ukraine high on Blinken’s agenda, Lu told reporters, “We are not asking for countries to choose between us and Russia, or us and China.” He argued that Astana and Tashkent value America’s unique political and economic input which “are different from the engagement of Moscow and Beijing.”
While Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan have avoided explicit condemnation of the Kremlin’s invasion of Ukraine, they have refused to recognize the independence of Russia-backed separatist regions in Ukraine, nor their annexation late last year by Putin.
“We’ve committed $41.5 million in assistance this year to Central Asia to support food security and economies that we see are struggling. This money will help them explore new export routes, retrain their workforce, reduce unemployment, and spur private sector growth,” said Lu.
The State Department is helping Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan avoid secondary sanctions, as the West increases economic and financial restrictions against Russia.
Three banks have been transformed from Russian subsidiaries to wholly locally owned, added Lu, through licenses allowing for the transfer of assets into Kazakh hands.
It boils down to freedom
Closely watching Blinken’s visit, Uzbek and Kazakh civil society activists are asking the U.S. to push for systemic reforms without which, they argue, these republics will not be able to overcome geopolitical challenges, including preserving their independence.
“We have seen some positive action by the Uzbek government, but it has a long way to go in terms of allowing political freedoms and space for pluralism,” Abdurahmon Tashanov, who heads the Ezgulik Human Rights Society, told VOA from Tashkent. “The state must ease the registration of nongovernmental organizations and political parties. The authorities don’t seem to want to take these steps.”
Last week President Mirziyoyev voiced support of journalists and bloggers, “confessing” that many around him want to suppress media freedom. He claims he is open to constructive criticism.
“Freedom of expression and media are basic rights to be enjoyed by everyone, not because the president backs them or wants to allow them,” responds Tashanov.
As a witness to the repressions under the previous Uzbek leader Islam Karimov, Tashanov sees two clear paths for his country: true democratic reforms or further authoritarianism.
American officials say Washington will remain on the side of reforms, and not just in Uzbekistan, advancing “our shared goal of a prosperous, secure, and democratic region.”
Some information for this report came from Agence France-Presse.
