Putin, Erdoğan and Raisi make visits in Central Asia

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Russian President Vladimir Putin visits Kazakhstan on Thursday (9 November), while Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his Iranian counterpart Ebrahim Raisi are expected in Uzbekistan, amid renewed diplomatic interest in the region.

Central Asia’s former Soviet republics have sought to diversify their partnerships as Moscow’s sway over the region — which it considers as under its sphere of influence — has waned since Russia invaded Ukraine.

The Russian leader and his Kazakh counterpart Kassym-Jomart Tokayev nevertheless praised their countries’ relationship in interviews ahead of their planned meeting in Astana.

“Our strategic partnership is truly forward-looking,” Putin said, while Tokayev praised an “alliance with a rich past and a bright future”. The Kazakh President also said that Kazakhstan was ready for greater cooperation with Russia in the oil and gas sector.

Kazakhstan ready to transport eastward more Russian gas, oil

Kazakhstan is ready to transport more Russian oil and gas, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev told the Russian daily Izvestia in remarks published early on Wednesday (8 November), a day before President Vladimir Putin was set to visit his country.

But three decades after the collapse of the Soviet Union, with Russia bogged down in Ukraine, other world powers are investing in Central Asia.

China has become a major partner across the whole region with its Belt and Road Initiative, a gigantic infrastructure project.

And Putin’s trip to Kazakhstan comes a week after French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit — and as the European Union, the United States, Iran and Turkey seek to strengthen ties there.

Kazakhstan welcomes Macron under Moscow's disapproving gaze

French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Kazakhstan on Wednesday (1 November) on the first leg of a trip to Central Asia, a region long regarded as Russia’s backyard which has drawn fresh Western attention since the war in Ukraine began.

Raisi and Erdoğan in Tashkent

More than 1,000 kilometres south, a summit of the Economic Cooperation Organisation will be held in Uzbekistan’s capital Tashkent.

The city will host the Iranian and Turkish presidents, as well as Pakistani Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar and Central Asian leaders.

The war between Israel and Hamas is not on the agenda, Uzbekistan said.

On 7 October Hamas launched an unprecedented attack on Israel that killed more than 1,400 people, mostly civilians, according to Israeli authorities.

Aiming to destroy Hamas, Israel responded with a relentless bombardment and ground invasion of the Gaza Strip that has killed more than 10,500 people, many of them children, according to the Hamas-run territory’s health ministry.

Tehran, which backs Hamas, said it did want to discuss the conflict, state-run agency IRNA said.

Raisi already discussed the conflict during a meeting with Tajik leader Emomali Rahmon on Wednesday.

And Erdoğan — who hardened his tone against both Israel and its Western supporters — is likely to bring the issue to the table.

Most of the talks are expected to focus on trade, humanitarian cooperation and transport.

Central Asian countries, which are landlocked, are trying to gain access to the sea including via Pakistan.

Russia is under pressure in the region but it remains a key partner.

It renewed investments in the energy sectors, having been excluded from most of the European market by sanctions triggered by the invasion of Ukraine.

Moscow has launched large-scale energy projects, including by launching gas supplies to Uzbekistan via Kazakhstan.

It is also discussing building nuclear power plants and hydroelectric projects in several countries.