Central Asia in Russia´s Foreign Policy

Abstract

Russian policies towards Central Asia have been determined by the historical inheritance of the period before the collapse of the USSR, but also by the changes in the international system and in Russia itself that have happened since then. To what extent has Russia’s behaviour been coherent and stable, based on a strategy for Central Asia grounded on national interests? In this article we analyze the basic tenets of Russia’s foreign policy towards Central Asia in the political, economic and security areas.