Central Asia: asserting its personality and independence between regional and global balances

Antonio Alonso Marcos, profesor adjunto de Ciencia Política, Universidad San Pablo CEU (Madrid). aalonso@ceu.es. ORCID: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5266-8622 

Central Asia sits wedged between two major powers (Russia and China), surrounded by regional middle powers (India, Iran and Turkey) and courted by the Western powers (the United States and the European Union [EU]). The five countries that make up the region champion certain elements of their history and culture – like the role of women and the value of elders as leaders – as a model for the rest of the world. This paper studies how they try to avoid the dialectic of blocs by asserting their personality and independence in international relations, as seen in the discourse and decisions of their leaders. It draws the conclusion that Central Asia intends to seize its chance to participate in a changing international system where it is becoming virtually unavoidable to stand either with the Collective West or the Global South.

Keywords: Central Asia, role of women, Collective West, Global South, geopolitics, international relations 

How to cite this article: Alonso Marcos, Antonio. «Asia Central: reafirmando su personalidad e independencia entre equilibrios regionales y globales». Revista CIDOB d’Afers Internacionals, n.º 139 (abril de 2025), p. 145-166. DOI: doi.org/10.24241/rcai.2025.139.1.145

Revista CIDOB d’Afers Internacionals, nº 139, p. 145-166
Quadrimestral (January-April 2025)
ISSN:1133-6595 | E-ISSN:2013-035X
DOI: doi.org/10.24241/rcai.2025.139.1.145

Reception date:  16.09.24  ;  Acceptance date:  02.02.25

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