By Robert M. Cutler (4/27/2011 issue of the CACI Analyst)

In early April, Uzbekistan hosted the most recent EU-Central Asia ministerial meeting, where a high-level delegation from Brussels met with the foreign ministers of all five Central Asian countries and took the opportunity to hold one-to-one bilateral meetings with each of them. For the first time, energy has appeared in a significant place in the formal definition of the agenda for discussion at this level and in this forum. While the preparation and overall tenor of the meetings reflect a somewhat better sense of purpose on the part of Brussels, the EU’s policy remains plagued by difficulties of goal definition and bureaucratic coordination.

By Kevin Daniel Leahy (4/27/2011 issue of the CACI Analyst)

The dust has yet to settle entirely following the leadership controversy last August which pitted the putative leader of the Caucasus Emirate, Doku Umarov, against a group of erstwhile colleagues in Chechnya’s rebel organisation. Umarov’s steadfast refusal to relinquish his leadership position has not prevented his opponents in Chechnya from restructuring themselves politically and militarily. The leaders of this anti-Umarov constituency command sizeable support and can call upon the services of a number of militarily gifted field commanders.

By Nicklas Norling (4/27/2011 issue of the CACI Analyst)

A milestone has been reached in Afghanistan. For the first time in almost a century, Afghanistan’s regional trading network is up and running after the Soviet border split the region in 1917 and Afghan tradesmen are now trading with partners in all directions. Recent data from Afghanistan’s Central Statistics Organization (CSO) suggests that Afghanistan’s licit trade with the Central Asian republics is now surpassing trade with Pakistan and India.