ASSESSMENTS

Outside Interest in Uzbekistan

Jan 1, 2014 | 14:31 GMT

Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) and his Uzbek counterpart Islam Karimov (L) speak in Moscow in 2013. The future of Uzbekistan is not only important to its clans, but also to the greater balance of power in Eurasia.
Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) and his Uzbek counterpart Islam Karimov (L) speak in Moscow in 2013. The future of Uzbekistan is not only important to its clans, but also to the greater balance of power in Eurasia.

(ALEXANDER NEMENOV/AFP/Getty Images)

Editor's Note

This is the third of a three-part series on the clans of Uzbekistan. Part 1 examined the history of the clans and of Uzbekistan through the Soviet period. Part 2 looked at the current relationships and tensions among the clans and how they affect the Uzbek political landscape. Part 3 examines outside players' interests in Uzbekistan and the potential exploitation of the clans' power struggle.

Moscow has long wanted to influence Uzbekistan. The country is reluctant to participate in Russian-led blocs but is still very reliant on Russia for trade, remittances and weapons. Approximately 26 percent of all Uzbek exports go to Russia, including more than half of Uzbekistan's natural gas exports....

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