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Marlene Laruelle editor Central Asia Program Institute for European, Russian and Eurasian Studies Elliott School of International Affairs The George Washington University NEW VOICES FROM CENTRAL ASIA: Political, Economic, and Societal Challenges and Opportunities VOLUME 1 Marlene Laruelle, editor Washington, D.C.: The George Washington University, Central Asia Program, 2017 www.centralasiaprogram.org The volume “New Voices from Central Asia: Political, Economic, and Societal Challenges and Opportunities” gives the floor to a young generation of experts and scholars from Central Asia and Azerbaijan. They were fellows at GW's Central Asia-Azerbaijan Fellowship Program, which aims to foster the next generation of thought leaders and policy experts in Central Asia. The Program provides young professionals (policy experts, scholars, and human rights and democracy activists) with opportunities to develop their research, analytical, and communication skills in order to become effective leaders within their communities. The Program serves as a platform for the exchange of ideas and builds lasting intellectual networks of exchange between and amongst Central Asians and the U.S. policy, scholarly, and activist communities. It increases and helps disseminate knowledge about Central Asian viewpoints in both the United States and Central Asia. Central Asia Program Institute for European, Russian and Eurasian Studies Elliott School of International Affairs The George Washington University For more on the Central Asia Program, please visit: www.centralasiaprogram.org. © 2017 Central Asia Program, The George Washington University. All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission from the Central Asia Program. ISBN 978-0-9988143-2-2 Washington, D.C.: The George Washington University, Central Asia Program, 2017 www.centralasiaprogram.org CONTENTS PART I. POLITICS AND POLICIES: THE STATE-SOCIETY INTERACTIONS Imagining the Nation: Identity, Nation Building and Foreign Policy in Kazakhstan Sabina Insebayeva 1 Azerbaijan’s Suspended Democracy: Time for an International Reassessment Arzu Geybullayeva 9 Propiska as a Tool of Discrimination in Central Asia Malika Tukmadiyeva 21 The Visa Regime in Uzbekistan: A Failed Attempt at Balancing Regime Interests and Freedom of Individuals Yevgenia Pak 32 Causes and Consequences of the Dysfunctionalities of the Housing Market in Dushanbe Xeniya Mironova 41 Ensuring Freedom from State Violence in the Kyrgyz Republic Sardarbek Bagishbekov 53 PART II. SOCIETIES ON THE MOVE: YOUTH, MIGRANTS, WOMEN Economic Smart Power: Utilizing the Untapped Asset of Turkmen Youth Dursunjemal Halimova 59 Understanding Illiberal Sentiments of Kyrgyz Youth Gulzhigit Ermatov 77 Youth Radicalization in Tajikistan: Causes, Consequences, and Challenges to Address Safovudin Jaborov 85 Labor Migrant Households in Uzbekistan: Remittances as a Challenge or Blessing? Farrukh Irnazarov 92 Emigration of “Crème de la Crème” in Uzbekistan. A Gender Perspective Marina Kayumova 99 Quotes on Quotas? Political Representation of Women in Kyrgyzstan in the 2007 and 2010 Convocations Natalia Zakharchenko 108 PART III. ECONOMIC CHALLENGES AND THE REGIONAL COOPERATION ISSUE Invisible Public Debt: The Case of Kazakhstan Kassymkhan Kapparov 115 An Ideal Investor to Come: Diversification of the Energy Exports of Turkmenistan Nazik Muradova 127 Energy Policy Options for the Rasht Valley Said Yakhoyev 137 Regional Cooperation in Central Asia: Nurturing from the Ground Up Aitolkyn Kourmanova 151 Revisiting Water Issues in Central Asia: Shifting from Regional Approach to National Solutions Nariya Khasanova 160 The Highly Securitized Insecurities of State Borders in the Fergana Valley Rashid Gabdulhakov 169 About the Central Asia Program (CAP) 175 PART I. POLITICS AND POLICIES: THE STATE-SOCIETY INTERACTIONS Imagining the Nation: Identity, Nation Building and Foreign Policy in Kazakhstan of other information materials such as brochures and Sabina Insebayeva1 (2016) posters.6 The major expenditures incurred on image- building–mostly through the National Welfare Fund Samruk-Kazyna–are estimated as follows: $3 billion for The notion of nation-branding has become a permanent the EXPO-2017, $1.65 billion for the 2011 Asian Winter feature of the state discourse in Kazakhstan. Since Games, and $47 million the Winter Universiade 2017, to becoming familiar with the idea of the “brand state,”2 name just a few.7 In its branding enthusiasm, in 2007 the Kazakhstan has deployed a full panoply of branding government even established a special Department of strategies to cultivate a positive international image, International Information (now known as the Committee including wide media exposure,3 “spectacular of International Information) under the Ministry of urbanization,”4 and aggressive pursuit of image-building Foreign Affairs that was entrusted with the responsibility projects (known as imidzhdik zhobalar in Kazakh and to build and maintain Kazakhstan’s international image.8 imidzhevye proekty in Russian). Kazakhstan has mounted such a vigorous image- Branding a nation is said to be such a crucial factor building campaign that at times its efforts are being for “the economic, political and cultural flourishing of interpreted as manipulative and propagandistic. The the state”5 that no amount of public funds is considered heavy investments in image-building projects, lavish too much to for it. The regular outflow of government spending on social media and advertising campaigns, and funds and resources for image-building projects is the intense cooperation with select branding consultancies quintessential example of this practice in Kazakhstan. that are known for excelling in employing image-building The country arguably spends about US$50 million techniques have earned Kazakhstan the reputation of “a annually on various public relations (PR) campaigns. PR state.”9 Despite this, Kazakhstan continues to devote These include the dissemination of information about considerable energy to presenting and promoting the Kazakhstan’s economic and political achievements country in a positive light by allocating funds to branding through international mass media outlets such as CNN activities, maintaining maximum visibility in various and the BBC, special newspaper editions such as The international organizations, and developing a remarkably New York Times and The Economist, and the distribution proactive stance in its foreign policy.10 1 Sabina Insebayeva is a doctoral candidate in International and Advanced Japanese Studies at the University of Tsukuba, Japan. She obtained a Master’s degree in International Area Studies (Special Program in Japanese and Eurasian Studies) from University of Tsukuba, and an MA in International Relations as well as a BA with Honors in Politics from KIMEP University, Kazakhstan. 2 Ham, P. van “The Rise Of The Brand State,” Foreign Affairs 80, no. 5 (2001), https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/2001-09-01/rise-brand-state. 3 Fullerton, J., Kendrick, A., and Wallis, C. “Brand Borat? Americans’ reaction to a Kazakhstani place branding campaign,” Place Branding and Public Diplomacy 4, no. 2 (2008): 159–168. 4 Koch, N. and Valiyev, A. “Urban Boosterism in Closed Contexts: Spectacular Urbanization and Second-Tier Mega-Events in Three Caspian Capitals,” Eurasian Geography and Economics 56, no. 5 (2015): 575–598. 5 Varga, S. “The politics of Nation-branding: Collective identity and public sphere in the neoliberal state,” Philosophy and Social Criticism 39, no. 8 (2013): 828. 6 “Kazakhstan v god tratit po $50 mln na ‘stranovoi piar’,” Kursiv, December 11, 2014, http://www.kursiv.kz/news/obshestvo/kazakhstan_v_god_tratit_ po_50_mln_na_stranovoy_piar/. 7 “2017 zhylgy oysqy universiadanyn byudzhety 17 mlrd tengeni quraidy,” November 23, 2015. http://almaty2017.com/kk/byudzhet-universiady-2017- v-almaty-sostavi/; Mukanova, G. “Kazakhstan potratit na EKSPO $3 milliarda,” LS, July 8, 2014, http://lsm.kz/kazakhstan-potratit-na-e-kspo-3-mlrd/; Urmanov, A. “Stoimost’ provedeniya aziady sostavila $1.65 milliarda,” KAZTAG, February 7, 2011, http://www.nomad.su/?a=4-201102080031. 8 Ermaganbetova, D. “Pri MID RK sozdan komitet mezhdunarodnoi informatsii,” Zakon, February 12, 2007, http://www.zakon.kz/82457-pri-mid-rk- sozdan-komitet.html. 9 Fauve, A. “Global Astana: Nation-branding as a Legitimization Tool for Authoritarian Regimes,” Central Asian Survey 34, no. 1 (2015): 110–124. 10 See for instance Engvall, J. and Cornell, S. “Asserting Statehood: Kazakhstan’s Role in International Organizations,” Silk Road Paper, 2015; and Marat, E. “Nation-branding in Central Asia: A New Campaign to Present Ideas about the State and the Nation,” Europe-Asia Studies, 61, no. 7(2009), 1123–1136. 1 Imagining the Nation: Identity, Nation Building and Foreign Policy in Kazakhstan Nation-Branding for Tourism, reasoning is certainly logically valid, yet it is not backed FDI and Image-Making? up by statistical evidence. At first glance, statistics show a positive tendency of inbound tourism to Kazakhstan. How can we explain Kazakhstan’s continuous enga- Nevertheless, a large portion of these trips are attributable gement in nation-branding exercises? Many commentators to foreigners traveling on business or visiting their family point out that a positive international image spurs and friends, while the number of people
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