Kyrgyzstan Protests Worry Kazakhstan – Again
Kazakhstan, Politics and Society2 Comments
As Kyrgyzstan goes into the fifth day of protests, Kazakhstan’s President Nazarbayev rushes to Uzbekistan for what was announced to be a working meeting with President Karimov, but what is seen by many as a strategy development event.
In March 2005, when popular protets ousted President Akaev from the White House in Bishkek, Kazakhstan temporarily closed its borders with Kyrgyzstan. It was seven months before Kazakhstan Presidential elections, which went without any disorders, as it was feared by some. In a disguised election campaign, Kazakh television showed the riots in Paris, the Kyrgyz revolution, followed by peaceful pictures of Kazakhstan reality. Maybe it helped really.
In May 2005, Andijan happened. Kazakh secret services were reported to cooperate with Uzbekistan on returning the Andijan refugees. And now, Kazakhstan wants to strenghen its cooperation with Uzbekistan, a more stable business partner and a more trustworthy neighbour than rioting Kyrgyzstan.
“We are great neighbours,” Nursultan Nazarbayev said. “The emergence of certain issues in the framework of bilateral relations is natural. In view of this fact, we have commissioned the Ministers of Foreign Affairs to establish constant contacts and mutual consultations.”
Uzmetronom supposes that “Islam Karimov and Nursultan Nazarbayev have developed a common position, which will allow them to react to the events in Kyrgyzstan” (RUS). Well, this position would probably include more than just dealing with possible influx of Kyrgyz migrants…
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Looks like things are going to get a lot worse for Kazakhstan’s reform movement. The Kyrgyz opposition seems to have performed some kind of velvet revolution by persuading enough of the government to join their ranks and by beginning the process of tweaking the constitution to make Bakiyev a mere figure-head. This is going to set off alarm bells in Kazakhstan. Nazarbayev will surely interpret this as a sign of what happens when you lose even the slightest control in a corrupt government – you’re betrayed by everyone and the opposition is able to exploit your weaknesses.
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[...] …and wider repercussions Kamron (RUS) reports that Kazakh President Nazarbayev met with his Uzbek counterpart Karimov, allegedly to discuss the ramifications of the events across the border in Kyrgyzstan. On neweurasia, Leila took up the same topic and said that images of the perpetual crisis in Kyrgyzstan had previously been used on Kazakh television: In a disguised election campaign, Kazakh television showed the riots in Paris, the Kyrgyz revolution, followed by peaceful pictures of Kazakhstan reality. Maybe it helped really. [...]