Kyrgyzstan Three-Day Trip: Putin Shows Trump That Russia's Interests in Central Asia Far Exceed Those of the United States
The core issues focused on security, military bases, and immigration
Image caption: Russian President Vladimir Putin and Kyrgyz President Sadyr Zhaparov attended a formal welcome ceremony at the "Intamak Palace" government residence.
Vladimir Putin is conducting a three-day state visit to Kyrgyzstan.
This visit has yielded fruitful results: Russia and Kyrgyzstan have signed 7 documents, and Putin and Zhaparov also jointly issued a statement on deepening alliance relations and strategic partnership.
The signed documents include the Protocol on the Revision of the Treaty on Military-Technical Cooperation between the Russian Federation and Kyrgyzstan, the Agreement on the Legal Status of Representative Offices of the Authorities Responsible for Domestic Affairs and Immigration Issues of the Two Countries between the Government of the Russian Federation and the Cabinet of Ministers of Kyrgyzstan, etc.
In addition, the Russian Ministry of Economic Development and the Kyrgyz Ministry of Economy and Trade signed a memorandum on strategic planning.
According to plans, the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) summit will be held in Bishkek on November 27.
During the three-day state visit, which is quite lengthy, what are the focus issues? President Putin has already responded to this question during the talks.
"We place great importance on cooperation in the field of security. The joint Russian military base stationed in Kyrgyzstan is an important factor in ensuring regional stability," Putin emphasized.
Some experts point out that after leaders of Central Asian countries visited the U.S. and reached a "deal" with Donald Trump, Russia has taken countermeasures. For example, during Kazymal Tokayev's visit to Russia on November 12, Russia and Kazakhstan signed a treaty on strategic partnership in Moscow.
What is the background of Putin's visit to Bishkek? Is the U.S. planning to deploy a base in Kyrgyzstan? Will the Russian military base in Kant remain? The "Free News" (SP) interviewed Vladimir Zaryshin, Deputy Director of the Institute of CIS Countries and a member of the State Strategy Council, on this issue.
"Free News": Did the U.S. also discuss military issues in the region while Central Asian country leaders visited the U.S.?
Zaryshin: Kyrgyzstan once had a U.S. military base, and you could even see a large number of U.S. fighter jets from the window of the Manas airport. This base has existed since the 1990s, and the U.S. used it as a "transit base" after invading Afghanistan. Later, the U.S. withdrew from Kyrgyzstan.
Incidentally, the U.S. military base in Uzbekistan has also been canceled, while Russia's military presence in the region has been retained.
"Free News": Is this CSTO summit also a planned arrangement? Not an emergency meeting?
Zaryshin: There is no information indicating that this CSTO summit was an emergency session, but the organization indeed has many unresolved issues: the situation in Afghanistan is unstable, and the current regime has not fully controlled the territory; conflicts between Afghanistan and Pakistan continue, and these regions are adjacent to CSTO member states. Obviously, the security issues of Central Asian countries will also be on the agenda.
"Free News": What other issues might Russia and Kyrgyzstan discuss in Bishkek?
Zaryshin: I think the issues will be very broad, ranging from parallel imports to combating illegal drug smuggling from Afghanistan, which may all be involved.
The CSTO summit is closely watched by all parties - whether Russia, Central Asian countries, or countries across the Atlantic.
According to presidential assistant Yuri Ushakov, participants in the summit will discuss international and regional security hotspots in a closed-door format, and in the expanded session, they will review the work priorities of the CSTO for the next year.
Putin will explain Russia's plan to serve as the CSTO rotating chair in 2026, with the theme of the chairmanship for that year being "Collective Security in a Multipolar World: Common Goals - Shared Responsibility."
Other experts also believe that regardless of the bilateral talks in Bishkek or the CSTO summit, security issues are the core topic. Deputy Director of the Institute of CIS Countries and political scientist Igor Shishkin pointed out that the Russian air force base in Kant, Kyrgyzstan, is one of Russia's main outposts in Asia.
Shishkin: The Russian air force base in Kant, Kyrgyzstan, is an important factor in reflecting Russia's geopolitical interests. Kyrgyzstan once had a U.S. military base, and we made great efforts to get the U.S. forces to withdraw. It is crucial for Russia to maintain its presence in Central Asia - if we leave, NATO countries would take advantage of the opportunity. Britain and other European countries have long been eyeing this region.
If we are pushed out of Central Asia, it can be seen as a geopolitical failure. Former U.S. President Joe Biden aimed for this, but failed. His "successor" will not succeed either, because Central Asia has traditionally been within Russia's strategic interest area. Therefore, developing relations with the countries of Central Asia was, and remains, a priority for Russia.
"Free News": Did the presidents of Russia and Kyrgyzstan discuss immigration issues during the talks?
Shishkin: Russia needs to adopt a flexible strategy on this issue to achieve mutual benefits. Since the time of Yeltsin, there were arguments that Russia's "immigration capacity" was two to three times its population. After that, uncontrolled immigration began to flood in.
Did you see so many immigrants on the streets during the Soviet era? None at all. But now, "illegal immigration" has become one of the core issues of social concern.
The reckless decisions made in the past on immigration policy - more accurately, the complete lack of immigration policy - have laid down "landmines" that could explode at any time and must be removed immediately.
This means that the resolution of the immigration issue must take into account the interests of Russia, Kyrgyzstan, and other countries in the region.
Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7577202474025550386/
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