 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
The Changing Face Of Asia
UPI International Editor Almaty, Kazakhstan (UPI) Apr 28, 2006 When we think about the rapidly changing face of Asia, we tend to look towards the Far East; the Japanese and South Korean post-World War II economic miracles. More recently the focus has turned to China and India, the new wonder boys on the block who are rapidly emerging as the financial and commercial powerhouses of the future. Often, newer emerging markets in Central Asia tend to receive little, if any, attention. Kazakhstan falls under that category. Kazakhstan, a former Soviet republic, one of the largest of the "Stans," is in a wonderful position to profit from the changing geo-political and economic trends. It sits strategically at the crossroads between the East and the West. Its unique geographic position provides it with the opportunity to profit from the rise of Asia as a new economic and business center. Kazakhstan is sort of an economic success story in its own right. Part of that is due to its large oil reserves and the fact that it sits on 20 percent of the world's known supply of uranium. "Kazakhstan is the last underdeveloped breadbasket of the world," said Askar Yelemesov, a minister in the Kazakh government. Furthermore, the country enjoys political stability, particularly when compared with some of its neighbors, who have been plagued by pro-Islamist movements. While President Nursultan Nazarbayev is described by the U.S. government as "authoritarian" and sharing "little power outside the executive branch," he has cooperated with the United States in ridding his country of nuclear weapons left behind after the dismemberment of the Soviet Union. Opposition parties, which were officially registered and competed in recent voting, won a single seat during elections that the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe said "fell short of international standards." U.S.-Kazakh cooperation in security and non-proliferation has been a cornerstone of the relationship with Washington. "Kazakhstan showed leadership when it renounced nuclear weapons in 1993," says a report from the U.S. State Department. The United States has assisted Kazakhstan in the removal of nuclear warheads, weapons-grade materials, and their supporting infrastructure. In 1994, Kazakhstan transferred more than half a ton of weapons-grade uranium to the United States. In 1995 Kazakhstan removed its last nuclear warheads and, with U.S. assistance, completed the sealing of 181 nuclear test tunnels in May 2000. Under the Cooperative Threat Reduction program, the United States has spent $240 million in assisting Kazakhstan in eliminating weapons of mass destruction and weapons of mass destruction-related infrastructure. While this former Soviet republic appears stable, it nevertheless lives in a dangerous neighborhood. "Asia is not stable," cautioned a delegate attending the Fifth Eurasian Media Forum that opened in Almaty Thursday. Of course one must not forget that Iraq, Afghanistan and Iran are very much part of Asia and are very much in the mind of the people here, where about half the country's 15 million population are Muslim. "The whole world is concerned with (Iran's) nuclear weapons, but the whole world is also concerned with (potential U.S.) military actions," said Vyacheslav Kuznetsov, director in the Institute of Social and Political Research at the Russian Academy of Sciences, during a working session. Kenneth Courtis, managing director and vice president of Goldman Sachs, Asia, put the changing face of Asia vis-�-vis the world as such: "In 1910 it was the rise of America; today we are seeing the rise of China and the emergence of India." Asia, said Courtis, is living the "reverse of Europe." Its economy is doing well (Europe's is struggling), its demographics are on the rise (without immigration Europe's population would be regressing) and manufacturing and services have shifted from Europe to Asia. But not all is golden. The Goldman Sachs executive cautioned against what he calls quantum risks. "We are in an era of quantum risks." Al-Qaida is the product of a chain reaction compounded by these quantum risks. "To fight them you have to have new ideas. You have to find new social-economic means." It is perhaps more of a novelty when Asian countries such as Kazakhstan, where democracy is still in its infancy, take center-stage in warning the West of impending dangers emanating from social injustice. Inaugurating the Fifth Eurasian Media Forum in Almaty, Dariga Nazarbayeva, Chair of the forum, a member of parliament and daughter of the country's president, warned that the clash between civilizations should be taken seriously. "The gap keeps on widening," Nazarbayeva told a packed audience which included diplomats, politicians (including Richard Perle and Richard Holbrooke) and a slew of journalists from every corner of the world. Indeed, the face of Asia is changing.
Source: United Press International Community Email This Article Comment On This Article Related Links - News From Across The Stans
Defense Ministers Arrive In Beijing For Central Asian Security Meeting
Beijing (AFP) Apr 25, 2006Defense ministers from Russia and several Central Asian countries began arriving in Beijing Tuesday for a meeting to discuss terrorism, religious extremism and separatism in the region. |
|
|
| The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2006 - SpaceDaily.AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA PortalReports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additionalcopyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by SpaceDaily on any Web page published or hosted by SpaceDaily. Privacy Statement |
