The United States’ and Russia’s Relationship in Central Asia and its Neighborhood

Tuesday, May 2

10:30 Opening remarks

Alexander Cooley (Harriman Institute, Columbia University) and
Marlene Laruelle(George Washington University)

10:45-12:15 Panel 1. Central Asia and the ‘global order’

Chair: Rajan Menon (City College of New York)

Paul Stronski (Carnegie Endowment for International Peace)
Prospects for Central Asia Policy in the Trump Administration

Christian Bleuer (ANU)
American Allies’ Strategic and Economic Interests in Afghanistan and Central Asia: Navigating Change and Continuity in the US-Russia Relationship

Alexander Cooley (Columbia University)
Central Asia as a Buffer Zone between National Populist Great Powers

12:15-1:00 Lunch

1:00-2:30 Panel 2. The international community in a changing environment

Chair: Alexander Cooley (Columbia University)

Roman Vakulchuk (NUPI)
Big Powers in Central Asia: Old Rhetoric, New Perception

Ivan Safranchuk (MGIMO)
Central Asia – Asset, Burden or Instrument for International Actors?

George Gavrilis (Columbia University)
Central Asia’s Borders: The Next Twenty-Five Years

2:30-3:00 Coffee break

3:00-4:00 Panel 3. Russia’s presence and influence in Central Asia and Afghanistan

Chair:  Nargis Kassenova (KIMEP)

Yulia Nikitina (MGIMO)
Russian Strategies of International Status-Seeking in International Institutions and Forums

Ekaterina Stepanova (IMEMO)
Armed Conflict, Insurgency, Terrorism and Peace Process in Afghanistan: A View From Russia

Wednesday, May 3

9:30-10:30 Panel 4. Is China really changing the given?

Chair: George Gavrilis (Columbia University)

Robert Sutter (George Washington University)
China’s expansion into Central Asia—A Pattern for Its Periphery?

Sun Zhuangzhi (CASS, Beijing)
Building Silk-Road Economic Belt and Central Asian Stability and Development

10:30-11:00 Coffee break

11:00-12:30 Panel 5. Central Asia’s perspectives on the US-Russia new relationship

Chair: Marlene Laruelle (George Washington University)

Nargis Kassenova (KIMEP)
US and Russia’s Failing ‘Pivots to Asia’ and Central Asia

Erlan Karin (KISI)
New Perspectives on the US-Russia Relationship and Multivectoralism in Central Asia

Emil Joroev (American University in Central Asia)
Trump’s America Viewed from Bishkek: Sharing Moscow’s Hopes or Excited for Own Reasons?

12:30-1:15 Lunch

This conference is generously funded by the Carnegie Corporation of New York.

This event is co-hosted by SIPA and the Harriman Institute (Columbia University), and generously funded by the Carnegie Corporation of New York.