KARACHI: ‘9/11 rekindled Russian interest in region’
By Our Staff Reporter
KARACHI, Aug 21: “After the Cold War, Russia preferred to remain indifferent in the Asian region, as it focused all its energies towards economically establishing itself with the help of the West. However, after September 11, the Central Asian states gained significance in the war on terror. When Russia observed the presence of almost 50,000 US troops in the region it again became interested in the area.”
These views were expressed by Dr Rubab Hasan in a seminar titled “Europe’s Political and Economic Interests in Central Asia and Caucasus after 9/11,” held at the Area Study Centre for Europe (ASCE), University of Karachi, on Tuesday.
Following Dr Naveed Ahmad Tahir’s introduction of the topic, Dr Rubab Hasan of the ASCE said that the “USSR had great interest in the Central Asian states. However, after the Cold War, Russia was inclined towards the West as the Atlanticists were of the opinion that it should move towards the West and strengthen itself rather than wasting its energies in the East.”
She pointed out that the situation changed soon after 9/11.
“When Russia realised by 2002 that almost 50,000 US soldiers were positioned either in ships or in bases from Oman to Turkey, its long-lost interest in the region was rekindled,” she said.
This, Dr Hasan said, was good news for some of the Asian states as it gave the region a chance to balance powers. She said the latest development in this regard was the Russian-Chinese military manoeuvres.
Nausheen Wasi, in her presentation, said that the game in the Central Asian region was more oil and resources-oriented, as Caspian oil production has been estimated to be 78.2 million barrels. “The transport of oil and gas is the major concern at the moment,” she said, adding that the US military might was a formidable force.
In the second session, Dr Azmat Hyat Khan of the Peshawar University read his paper on Chechnya. He mentioned that “after 1999 the European Union and Russia had an argument as the former asked Russia to avoid using force in Chechnya and settle the issue peacefully.”
He further said that Moscow saw Chechnya as a region of terrorists who acted much more violently than they did 10 years ago. He also said that democracy was a foreign concept and Islam has no place for it in its system.
The ASCE’s Assistant Prof Uzma Shujat shed light on how the US engagement policies were not hassle-free and the cost nations would have to pay for them.
