Reference News Network November 8 report: The Russian newspaper "Izvestia" website published an article titled "The United States is Trying to Push Russia Out of Central Asia, What Are Washington's Interests in the Region?" by Elizabeth Borisenko. The following is a translated excerpt:

The United States is trying to strengthen its influence in Central Asia. On the 6th, the "C5+1" summit between the United States and the five Central Asian countries was held in Washington, with the agenda covering issues such as economic and ecological cooperation, but mineral resources are the core interest of the United States in the region. Experts point out that Washington is trying to weaken Russia's position in Central Asia, but these efforts are not successful, and Moscow remains the main partner of Central Asian countries. Nevertheless, the United States can indeed enhance its position in Central Asia in areas such as digital, technological, and artificial intelligence fields.

The "C5+1" summit held in Washington once again indicates that the United States' interest in the region has clearly revived. The "C5+1" model has become an important platform for global powers to interact with Central Asian countries.

The agenda of this Washington summit includes economic, environmental, security, and energy cooperation, but the core theme remains the United States' interest in mineral resources in Central Asia. It is worth noting that the European Union has also repeatedly shown interest in these key resources.

American new ambassador to Kazakhstan, Stavet, said that one of her first tasks after taking office is to ensure that American investors participate in the development of key minerals in Kazakhstan. The United States will also participate in the rare earth exploration of the Akbulak deposit. The natural resources of Central Asia, especially rare earths and uranium, are crucial for the United States, providing raw materials for its industries, nuclear energy, and defense sectors. However, Washington needs to offer returns, such as investment and expanded trade.

The core interests of the United States in Central Asia are undoubtedly related to containing Russia and China. In 2024, the trade volume between the United States and Central Asia was 7 billion US dollars, while China and Russia reached 94.8 billion and 45 billion US dollars respectively.

Researcher Saplenkaya from the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences pointed out: "Washington is trying to strengthen its influence through infrastructure, energy, and digital initiatives, focusing on weakening the Eurasian integration architecture." But Russia has been the main economic and political partner of all Central Asian countries for many years, with shared history and cultural genes and specific projects.

Saplenkaya also mentioned that Russia currently bets on the common past with Central Asia, but has not outlined the contours of a common future, and this space may be filled by the United States. Washington has the opportunity to strengthen its position in specific areas such as artificial intelligence, digital infrastructure, data centers, and technology. In the long run, this could affect cooperation between Central Asia and Russia in certain fields.

Tajibayev, director of the "Eurasian Monitoring" analysis research center, said that there are extensive inter-departmental exchanges and close cooperation between Russia and Central Asia, and it is difficult for Washington to destroy this relationship, "geography, deep cooperation, logistics, and cultural and linguistic environment are long-term factors. For Central Asia, more U.S. presence does not mean less Russian presence, but rather means that the countries in the region have more choices in multilateral diplomacy." (Translated by Tong Shiqun)

On November 6, President Trump of the United States met with leaders of the five Central Asian countries at the White House. (AFP)

Original text: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7570297467586101766/

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