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Uzbekistan
Russia and the CIS
Equally unclear is the long-term direction of Uzbekistan's relations
with Russia. Having had independence thrust upon them by events
in Moscow in 1991, the new Central Asian states, Uzbekistan among
them, pressed to become "founding members" of the CIS on December
21, 1991. It was clear that none of the countries in that group
could soon disentangle the complex of economic and military links
that connected them with the Slavic members of the new CIS, and
especially with Russia. In Uzbekistan's case, this limitation
was characterized mainly by the significant Russian population
in Uzbekistan (at that time, nearly 2 million people in a population
of 22 million), by certain common interests in the region, and
by the close entanglement of the Uzbek economy with the Russian,
with the former more dependent on the latter.
Since achieving independence, Uzbekistan's foreign policy toward
Russia has fluctuated widely between cooperation and public condemnation
of Russia for exacerbating Uzbekistan's internal problems. Serious
irritants in the relationship have been Russia's demand that Uzbekistan
deposit a large portion of its gold reserves in the Russian Central
Bank in order to remain in the ruble zone (which became a primary
rationale for Uzbekistan's introduction of its own national currency
in 1993) and Russia's strong pressure to provide Russians in Uzbekistan
with dual citizenship. In 1994 and 1995, a trend within Russia
toward reasserting more control over the regions that Russian
foreign policy makers characterize as the "near abroad," boosted
by the seeming dominance of conservative forces in this area in
Moscow, has only compounded Uzbekistan's wariness of relations
with Russia.
In its period of post-Soviet transformation, Uzbekistan also
has found it advantageous to preserve existing links with Russia
and the other former Soviet republics. For that pragmatic reason,
since the beginning of 1994 Uzbekistan has made particular efforts
to improve relations with the other CIS countries. Between 1993
and early 1996, regional cooperation was most visible in Tajikistan,
where Uzbekistani troops fought alongside Russian troops, largely
because of the two countries' shared emphasis on Islamic fundamentalism
as an ostensible threat to Central Asia and to Russia's southern
border. And 1994 and 1995 saw increased efforts to widen economic
ties with Russia and the other CIS states. Economic and trade
treaties have been signed with Russia, Ukraine, Moldova, Azerbaijan,
Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakstan, and collective security and/or military
agreements have been signed with Russia, Armenia, and other Central
Asian states. Largely because of its important role in Uzbekistan's
national security, Russia has retained the role of preferred partner
in nonmilitary treaties as well (see External Security Conditions,
this ch.).
Data as of March 1996
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