INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

Rashid ABDULLO

---

Rashid Abdullo, Independent political scientist (Dushanbe, Tajikistan)

---

1

The content and orientation of the country’s foreign policy and its economic relations with other countries of the world were defined by the need to successfully build Tajikistan’s post-Soviet statehood and create prerequisites ensuring an upswing in the economy. These tasks had to be carried out in an atmosphere of intensified rivalry between Russia and the U.S. in Central Asia, and against the background of China’s and Iran’s growing interest in the region, which are striving to realize their goals in Central Asia as a whole and in Tajikistan in particular. The Tulip Revolution in Kyrgyzstan and the events in Andijan had a significant impact on the development of the political situation in the region and consequently on official Dushanbe’s foreign policy moves.

Of course, the elections to the Majlisi Oli (the parliament), as well as the transfer of the entire state border with Afghanistan to the republic’s jurisdiction had an impact on how these tasks were carried out.

The main feature of the 2005 elections was that for the first time in Tajikistan’s post-Soviet history, deputies were being elected to a parliament already established in form and composition. What is more, for the first time they were to be a routine procedure organized under conditions not aggravated by an emergency. It was very important for the republic that the international community positively assessed the election campaign, the elections themselves, and their results. In order to reach the set goal, cooperation was established with…………..

---

Please fill in the subscription form to obtain the full text.