In conclusion, I would like to address some implications of the current status quo in Central Asia. First of all, Europe has long put its eye on Central Asian energy resources but hasn’t been able to follow through on its aspirations. Many European states are eager to diversify their energy imports. The Middle East is a constantly volatile region, and Russia is a somewhat dangerous partner, sice it has leveraged its position on the European market as a political tool. The main issue standing in Europe’s way is the uncertain status of the Caspian Sea. The dispute revolves around its legal status, as some countries would like to apply the “law of the sea” to the natural resources on its seabed, while others would like to consider it a lake to obtain better access for them. Secondly, Central Asian states have regarded China’s investment as virtually limitless, but the recent suspension of Line D of the Central Asia-China Gas Pipeline, was a wake-up call. Some analyst even concluded that this failure was the demonstration of the Chinese inability to promote truly multilateral projects, as line D would have crossed 4 of the 5 Central Asia states. Political aspirations had finally met reality.
Central Asia continues to be a fragmented and poorly interlinked region of the globe. Great Powers compete for influence in the region, and local rulers often times try to play them again each other for parochial gain. This region can be viewed as an experimental ground for the emerging multipolar world, where different centres of influence compete for limited resources. How it will playout remains to be seen, but the two strongest advocates of the multipolar world, Russia and China, bear particular responsibility for future outcomes of their shared vision.