November 30, 2016, 5:30 pm | Room 2.3 ISMC 210 Euston Road NW1 2DA London
Kyrgyzstan is an interesting example of a relatively weak state: for its brief period of independence it has already ousted two presidents, experienced two revolutions, survived two interethnic conflicts and yet remained intact.
This book explores this apparent paradox and argues that the schism between domestic and international dimensions of state and regime security is key to understanding the nature of Kyrgyz politics. The book also shows how the foreign policy links to the Manas Air Base. Used by the US military, the base was essential for supplying their forces in Afghanistan, the economic arrangements necessary for sustaining the base, both inside and outside Kyrgyzstan, and the myriad of different actors involved in all this, combined to overshadow points of friction to ensure stable continuance of the status quo. Overall, the book shows how broad geopolitical forces and complex local factors together have a huge impact on the formation of Kyrgyz foreign policy.
Ismailimail 