"BELT AND ROAD" INITIATIVE IN CENTRAL ASIA: NATIONAL INTEREST VS REGIONAL COOPERATION

The article covers developments of interstate relations in Central Asia that were launched in 2013 when Chinese “One Belt, One Road” initiative was announced. The OBOR project factored into Central Asian countries economic development strategies rethinking. Positive attitude towards Chinese initiative became general tendency. Central Asian states saw the OBOR project as an opportunity to provide economic growth by allowing them to generate revenue from China-Europe cargo turnover as well as by providing access for national economies to new international markets. Authors draw special attention to the contradictions of the states’ foreign and domestic policies that are due to implementation of various projects of Eurasian transport routes. The article analyzes the specifics of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan national approaches to the Chinese infrastructure project joining. It is pointed out that this process cause completion among Central Asian states which in turn booster areal cooperation depending on the OBOR development route – the Northern route across Russian territory; the Central route – across the Caspian Sea; and the Southern route – across Iranian territory. Authors highlight the number of political and economical contradictory processes. To start with stiffer competition for China’s “attention” that affects Central Asian states’ negotiating capacity when dealing with Chinese counterparts. It also raises anti-Chinese sentiment of national political and economical elites. Secondly, any Eurasian crossborder route requires intensification of interstate cooperation on frozen conflicts and political and security concerns. Such intensification in turn forces states to compromise for the sake of economic development this escalates national elites’ political in-fight. Lastly, Chinese economic initiative requests a new security approach within the region including resolution of cross-border disputes that are connected with instability in Afghanistan, drugs smuggling and crime. In conclusion the article presents short- and mid-term assessment of the OBOR development in Central Asian states – the Northern, Central and Southern dimensions – with constraining and contributing factors being highlighted.