Asia Times Online
The simmering rivalries amongst Russia,
China and the United States have begun bubbling up
in Tajikistan against the backdrop of the
uncertainties of the post-2014 period for regional
security and stability. After months or years of
secretive negotiations, Russian exasperation over
Tajikistan's foot-dragging on the renewal of the
lease agreement for its military base is
surfacing.
However, the Russian-Tajik entanglement is more than a family quarrel, as it underscores the complex geopolitics of the post-2014 period in Central Asia when Western troops will have withdrawn from Afghanistan but the United States would still hope to keep permanent military bases in the region.
While the US intentions to expand its strategic footprints into
Central Asia have not
been a great secret to Moscow, a new factor is
that China, too, is contributing unwittingly to
the erosion of Russian influence in the region.
However, the Russian-Tajik entanglement is more than a family quarrel, as it underscores the complex geopolitics of the post-2014 period in Central Asia when Western troops will have withdrawn from Afghanistan but the United States would still hope to keep permanent military bases in the region.
While the US intentions to expand its strategic footprints into
