Kazakstan Could Take Lead as Regional Peacekeeper

Peacekeeping operations run by the Commonwealth of Independent States, CIS, could be made more effective if Kazakstan took on a greater role in areas where Russian domination is a hindrance to the process, NBCentralAsia analysts say.



Last week, CIS foreign ministers met in Astana to discuss the deployment and activity of peacekeeping forces in countries that belong to the post-Soviet grouping.



NBCentralAsia observers say that if Kazakstan contributed more troops to peacekeeping contingents, it could radically change attitudes towards these forces in “frozen” ethnopolitical conflicts where CIS peacekeepers are often equated with Russian troops.



CIS contingents, consisting overwhelmingly of Russians, have taken part in the peacekeeping operations in Abkhazia and Tajikistan. The Russian military is also deployed in a similar capacity in Southern Ossetia and the Transdniester region.



Political scientist Dosym Satpaev explains that in some situations like the Georgian-Abkhazian conflict, a fraught relationship with Russia stalls the peacekeeping process. Using Kazakstan forces could help ease the tension.



“At the moment, the most sensitive area is Russian-Georgian relations. Russia wants CIS forces to be deployed, while Georgia is against it. I think Kazakstan’s military are in a position to conduct peacekeeping missions, since they already have experience of deployment on military operations.”



A similar view was expressed by Sanat Kushkumbaev, deputy director of the Kazakstan Institute for Strategic Studies, who noted that some CIS members are mistrustful of Russia.



“Confidence between states is crucial,” he said. “Many countries like Georgia and Ukraine take particular exception to the main architect of the [CIS] project – Russia.”



But even though there are many unstable areas in the CIS, Kushkumbaev doubts Kazakstan will become a serious player in peacekeeping operations.



“I don’t think we should overestimate our country’s role and capacity,” he said.



(News Briefing Central Asia draws comment and analysis from a broad range of political observers across the region.)