Missed Opportunities—How the West "Lost" Central Asia

After a decade of relative neglect, post-Soviet Central Asia has become a foreign-policy priority for the transatlantic community. At this Open Society Institute event, fellow Alex Cooley examined how the United States and Europe have engaged with the region in recent years and why these new ties have failed to improve the dismal quality of governance there. Much of the blame, Cooley argued, rests with Western governments that have compromised their pursuit of democracy in Central Asia in order to maintain military basing options in the region and secure access to oil and gas reserves.

Leonard Benardo, director of the Open Society Fellowship program, introduced the event.

Photo above: People shout as they hold posters during a rally against the U.S. military base in Kyrgyzstan in front of the U.S. embassy in Bishkek, June 2007.