Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan find themselves increasingly in a tug-of-war with three world superpowers: Russia, China, and now the United States increasingly desire influence in the region. Not since the fall of the Soviet Union and the need to neogtiate Kazakhstan’s relinquishing of its nuclear weapon aresenal has the Western world seemed so vested in Central Asia. Not only are world governments seemingly more interested in this region than before, but Central Asia’s tourism industry has seen an uptick in recent years. People are…
