Russia Makes Progress Toward Integration

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov invited Tajikistan to join Russian-led "integration structures" during a visit to Dushanbe on April 24. With Russia and the United States at odds over Washington's ballistic missile defense plans for Europe, Moscow has been looking to increase its position and influence in its former Soviet territory — both for internal security and to gain leverage over the West. One major aspect of this plan is Russia's emphasis on integration with these states. Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan will be important to watch to gauge the effectiveness of Moscow's strategy.