بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
News & Comment
The European Union and Central Asian Colonies of Russia
News:
On 11th November, IA UzDaily.uz reported: “On 10th November, 2017 there held a meeting between foreign ministers of the countries of the European Union-Central Asia format in Samarkand. The foreign ministers of Uzbekistan Abdulaziz Kamilov, of Kazakhstan – Kairat Abdrakhmanov, of Kyrgyzstan – Erlan Abdyldaev, of Tajikistan – Sirodzhidin Aslov, of Turkmenistan – Rashid Meredov and EU High Representative, Vice President of the EU Commission Federica Mogherini, EU Commissioner for International Cooperation and Development Neven Mimica participated in the meeting”.
The idea of a new EU strategy for Central Asia was voiced at the meeting. In particular, Federica Mogherini said, “We decided to update our attitude to partnership with the region. And we exchanged views on cooperation priorities for our next EU strategy for Central Asia, which will be adopted within 18 months." The EU is increasingly considering Central Asia not in quality the beneficiary, but as an economic partner, the region itself becomes an attractive place for European investments. Now more than ever the countries of the region demonstrate the desire to work together. We have never had such a positive and constructive dialogue. I would say that we are on the top of our cooperation, but we want to use it not as a final goal but as a new starting point”.
Comment:
The countries of Central Asia (CA) as “independent states” with their present borders were formed after the collapse of the USSR, and inevitably remained depending to varying degrees on their former master, now in the face of Russia. This was manifested in the accession of the Central Asian countries to the CIS, the SCO, the CSTO and other organizations formed by Russia, which does not want to lose of its once colonized lands, and constantly monitors the ongoing processes in this region.
The EU’s relations with Central Asian countries began to develop rapidly at the turn of the 1990s. Over time, these relations have undergone many changes. Looking at Kazakhstan’s relations in the person of President N. Nazarbayev, who for many years maintained warm and friendly relations with the EU, Uzbekistan in the person of President I. Karimov after the Andijan events in 2005 practically froze his ties with the EU, and even the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development has closed its last project already in 2007 and left Uzbekistan.
The change of leadership in Uzbekistan, after the death of dictator I. Karimov, radically changed the foreign policy of the country. Tyrant I. Karimov, because of his impotence to conduct an independent policy, tried to distance himself from the complete dependence of one or another colonizer, and almost remained isolated. This is confirmed by the last years of his reign.
The new president of Uzbekistan Sh. Mirziyoyev, unlike the tyrant I. Karimov, decided to throw himself completely to the mercy of his patron in the face of Russia. Therefore, the latest foreign policy of Uzbekistan, represented by the new head of the state Sh. Mirziyoyev, should be considered proceeding from the interests of its owner, Russia, since it is not possible that the latter for such a short time made Uzbekistan an independent state that it would conduct such cases independently.
The relations between the EU and Central Asian countries, in particular Uzbekistan, do not contradict the interests of Russia. On the contrary, Russia itself is pushing these republics to establish all sorts of economic agreements with the EU, as it is confident that it has a good control over the situation in this region. Russia needs a market for the sale of resources from its colonies, and the EU is one of such markets.
The EU investments in this region, as usual, will not bring benefits to the peoples of these lands. On the contrary, they will serve as a tool for plundering natural resources and complicating the economic, social and other spheres of life of Central Asian Muslims.
The Muslims of Central Asia should give up from subordinating corrupt tyrant-rulers, who serve to please their masters in the face of Russia and other colonial countries. After all, it is already clear to everyone that their foreign policy is based only on the acquisition of material wealth and nothing more.
The prosperity and well-being on these lands will come only with the revival of the righteous state of the Khilafah (Caliphate). The proof of this is our history. With the coming of Islam, the people of these lands acquired a higher culture that united these nations and exalted them over all others for many centuries.
And according to this, there is no way out of this declined position of the Muslims of Central Asia, except to work together with Hizb ut Tahrir on the restoration of the righteous state of the Khilafah by the method of our beloved prophet Muhammad (saw).
And may Allah help us.
Written for the Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir by
Eldar Khamzin
Member of the Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir