"Central Asia and the East-West Contest"

The Central Asian republics were considered a political backwater in Soviet times. Now, after twenty years of independence, with their rich resources, and proximity to China, Afghanistan and Iran, they have taken on new geostrategic significance. Major powers like the U.S., the EU, Russia, and China now vie for influence in Central Asia, and the U.S. in particular sees the area as a potentially stabilizing influence for Afghanistan.