Pluralism in the media

So it happened with Alexander Rahr, one of the most well-known German experts in international problems, concerning Russia and Central Asia in the first turn, the editor of the journal "CIS Barometer". Having held a number of meetings and public speeches in Almaty during the forum Mr.Rahr provided an opportunity to get acquainted with what the German experts say about such problems, as the political situation in Central Asia and especially in Caspian region, the Islamic factor in politics, the current and promising relations between the uniting Europe and post-Soviet countries. It wouldn't be an exaggerration to say that many of Mr.Rahr's conclusions were unexpected for our experts, and maybe even unpleasant.

First of all, it appeared that our region was still little known in Europe, the media wrote rarely and unwillingly about it, mainly about Caspian oil projects. Europeans heard about it, but not about anything else. The expert even used the term "terra incognita", "unknown land", when he was describing, how Central Asia was perceived in European society. This contradicts our widespread opinion: that the whole Western world, including European Union, considers our region as nearly the most important key to the modern geopolitical situation. Alas, it appears that not everyone in the West considers geopolitics from the point of view of Zbignew Bzhezinskiy and his "great chess game".

Of course, the German expert can be suspected of some hidden motives, such as a wish to diminish the importance of Caspian region and entire Central Asia for the uniting Europe, but - why would Mr.Rahr need it? It should be noted that, European experts as a rule are engaged and more honest, than their trans-Atlantic colleagues. Moreover, in the speeches of "CIS Barometer" editor there were observations that are easy to be checked independently. For instance, that the West (in this case, Europe, of course European Union in the first turn) is increasingly losing its interest to the transport projects TRACECA and INNOGATE. They were popular a few years ago and were viewed as an alternative to Russian trading routes from the West to the Far East. European ideologues of these projects proposed to help Caucasian and Central Asian countries of CIS to develop their railways and roads to switch cargo shipments between Europe and China, Japan, South Korea there. Then it was suggested "to link" transmission facilities, oil & gas pipelines to transport routes. Kazakhstan due to its geographic position had to become a central link in TRACECA and INNOGATE. Alas, Mr.Rahr says that Europe is losing its interest to these projects and returns to more traditinoal ways of transcontinental transit through Russia. And it is confirmed by a number of independent sources, enough to surf to some "transport" web-site. A sad story for us, because there would be giant profits from the transit. But there's noone to blame apart from ourselves.

The opinionf of Mr.Rahr about the economic cooperation between European Union and Central Asia are not too optimistic.

It can develop actively only in the realm of oil projects, and as for the rest, Europe, if we exaggerate quite diplomatic words of the expert a bit, is not interested in Caspian countries at all. It is quite clear why. Europe extends and passes a difficult economic period simultaneously. Although official and semi-official EU representatives would never admit it publicly, Europeans have certain doubts and even concerns about the future integration of East European countries into the EU "nucleus", no matter how much it costs. In such conditions an extension of economic cooperation and mass investments with faraway and little known Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and even, as it appears, Kazakhstan seems irrelevant.

Mr. Rahr mentioned another problem that makes Europeans abstain from the development of relations with Caspian countries. It is potential problems in relations between the countries of the region. We believe them to be resolved, but Europeans, who see stability otherwise think differently. The expert especially stressed problems in water usage by the region countries and he even proposed to create an interstate organisation for the resolution of such problems. Knowing how "fast" and "efficient" the growth of such structures in the Caspian region is, it should be suggested that Europeans won't see it soon.

Why our views on our own political significance and those of Europeans are so different? During the last years it seemed that Central Asia was a key position in the whole Eurasia and Kazakhstan was the most important in it. And now it occurs that rich Europeans don't care about us. Perhaps, there are two reasons why our ambitious ideas appeared to be delusions. The first is the common one. Global and economic processes took such a direction that the West forgot about us; objectively good relations with Poland or Hungary are more important for Germany and France than with Caspian countries. The second reason is ourselves: we got so excited about our own importance for the developed countries, about our giant natural resources, our important geopolitical position. We should be more careful about it.