The Kazakh capital of Astana hosted the Eurasian forum devoted to a review of 20 years of independent development of the Post-Soviet republics. Today we publish the address to the forum of VK's chief-editor, Alexey Vlasov.
Twenty years is a significant period for the new independent states that were created after the collapse of Soviet Union. I think it is important now to sum up our achievements and to sketch a strategy for
further development, taking into account all possible risks and obstacles that our states are going to face in the near future. First of all, we should understand that today the so-called Post-Soviet space is free from a considerable part of Soviet rudiments in politics, economy and ideology and is open to the outside world.
The Soviet Union gave way to a completely new geo-political system embracing elements that have never been a part of Soviet of imperial Russia: for example, China exercises a great deal of influence over the SCO (the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation) that in its turn affects political developments not only in Central Asia, but also on the South Caucasus and in the Caspian region. Belarus President, Alexander Lukashenko, recently noted that his country is included into China's geopolitical space.
Ex-Soviet Republics are now undoubtedly an integral part of global system. However the degree of this integration is different in political and economical fields. The most successful states, Russia, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, are now equal partners in the global 'big game' over natural resources and are touched by such global processes as the world financial crisis. Judging from this position, the Kazakh OSCE chairmanship is the most important event in the history of all Post-Soviet space and it also reflects global tendencies in world security development. The ex-Soviet territories of Central Asia form a 'bridge' that connects Europe to Asia and Pacific region.
Of course, the complex state of world politics prevented some of the Post-Soviet states to become equally successful. And it is impossible to find a universal example for all new republics among the CIS states. However, I think that the presence o a strong political leader, such as Nursultan Nazarbaev in Kazakhstan, Vladimir Putin in Russia and Heydar Aliev in Azerbaijan, is an important condition for
successful development of new independent states. And this factor is still important now, in the era of modernization.
The 'strong leader' should not cross the line of authoritarianism and he should be experienced in foreign politics as well as understand local specificity. So it raises a question: is the next generation of
politicians ready to assume the power and exercise it resting their power upon new institutions created in 1990s?
The Kirgiz example shows us that national elite often neglects its responsibilities ad ignores real state of affairs.
Today's measures of Kazakh government are completely justified by present state of affairs. I mean the special status and powers given to the President Nursultan Nazarbaev and the widely-discussed
referendum, which is not, as the opposition calls it, a present for the 20th anniversary of Nazarbaev's rule, but a wise step aimed at securing painless and smooth passing of the country's vast political
heritage to the new elites.
Kazakh experience, as well as Azerbaijani experience of the 2000s, demonstrates us the absence of universal political recipes. And these recipes are unlikely to be discovered today when our states face now challenges. First of them is informational vulnerability and absence of development ideology, as well as the rupture between the generations caused by the civilization catastrophe of Soviet Union
collapse and disintegration, almost incomprehensible to the new generation that enters active political life today.
Therefore, our main practical task is to develop new connections between our peoples. And the creation of this Eurasian expert Forum is an important step towards it, as it helps us to maintain the interest of our peoples towards each other despite all political complications.
That is why I proposed to organize a workgroup that would draft the Forum's program as well as to hold the next Forum in Moscow or Baku and to devote it to the topic of inter-state communications.
I would like to thank the organizers of this event and to wish us all luck in solving complex political problems. I think that the very range of current questions demonstrates our high abilities and ambitions, gained over the past 20 years that did not pass in vain.
Alexei Vlasov
