Uzbekistan: Politics and Foreign Policy

The author analyzes the prospects for long-term stability in Uzbekistan, where an authoritarian system of rule has been firmly entrenched. Following an examination of political institutions and parties, she explores potential areas of instability, including ethnic and religious tensions, as well as the prolonged conflict in Tajikistan. Part two discusses Uzbekistan’s principal foreign policy initiatives, concentrating on the young state’s attempts to forge multilateral cooperation structures in order to counterbalance Russia’s influence in the region.