Carnegie Moscow Center
Dialogue, education, and an accepted role for religion in society are critical to countering the possible threat that religious radicalization could pose to state security in Central Asia.
As Russians consider possible development paths for the country, one option that could be explored is the possibility of restoring the monarchy, which is a strong part of Russian historical and political traditions.
The fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 ushered in a time of momentous social and political change, including in Russia, but Russia’s development followed a different path than that of many Eastern European countries.
Afghanistan has eclipsed Iraq as the focus of U.S. military efforts, a sign of the country’s importance as well as the urgent need to bring resolution to the conflict.
In 2010, the overall security situation in the North Caucasus was worse than in 2009, although statistics show an improvement in Chechnya and Ingushetia.
The choice of Sochi as the host city for the 2014 Winter Olympics has prompted debate over the “Cherkessian issue,” sparking an upsurge in activity and division among Cherkessian public organizations.
In the Russian Orthodox Church’s worldview the nation is not paramount, but nationalism nonetheless is a significant side effect of the Church’s activities.
While Kyrgyzstan's newly elected parliament has convened its first session, there is still no ruling coalition and the situation in the country remains unpredictable.
The North Caucasus have been marked recently by renewed instability and violence and Russian officials have publicly acknowledged that the region poses a serious problem for their country.
Afghan opium cultivation, and subsequent drug production and trafficking, continue to be a source of instability in Afghanistan and the surrounding region, with significant international implications.