Central Asia: Where Power, Politics and Economics Collide

In: NATO Review, Volume 7

Abstract

Central Asia provides exhaustive case studies of how relations between international interests, the legitimate economy, criminality, and political violence collide and/or converge. Furthermore, despite the West's regularly admonishing the region for their lack of democratic progress or their inability to establish control over criminality and rising extremism, the actions of external actors perpetuate autocratic rule and corruption, which subsequently feeds into a climate of economic, political, and social instability. Figures. Adapted from the source document.