Commentary- Uzbekistan and Afghanistan Enhance Cooperation

2 Jan, 2018 | Dr Rashmini Koparkar, Research Associate, VIF

President of Afghanistan Ashraf Ghani has recently paid an official visit to Uzbekistan. His meeting with Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has resulted in signing of 20 agreements in fields of trade, transit, security, electricity and education. As a matter of fact, relations between Uzbekistan and Afghanistan have seen an upper trajectory in last one year, marked by sustained political dialogue and high economic engagements. Improvement of relations between these two landlocked neighbors is a welcome sign for the region at large.

Tashkent- Kabul Relations at a Glance

Uzbekistan and Afghanistan are ‘strategically located’ neighbors. Uzbekistan borders all other Central Asian Republics (CAR) and Afghanistan. On the other hand, Afghanistan is a bridge between South and Central Asia. It borders three of the five CARs, namely Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. Both these countries are landlocked and therefore, depend on each other for trade, transport and connectivity. Uzbekistan and Afghanistan share the border of about 137 kilometers, which is a ‘natural’ boundary of the river Amu Darya.

Uzbekistan and Afghanistan enjoy historical commonalities and ethno-cultural linkages, as they were part of the same geo-political space for considerable time in history. During the Soviet times, interaction from across the border was very high, especially during its Intervention in Afghanistan (1979-1989). The Uzbekistan-Afghanistan Friendship Bridge was constructed in 1982 near the Afghan border-town of Hairatan, establishing a firm link across Amu Darya.

Diplomatic relations established after the Uzbek independence in 1991 crumbled down after the capture of Kabul by the Taliban. In 1990’s, Uzbekistan was also facing the challenges of radicalism and violent extremism, which multiplied because of the Tajik Civil War (1992-1997) and emergence of the Taliban. Uzbek government was concerned about the spillover from across the border, and thus, closed the Friendship Bridge in 1997, which was reopened only in 2002. The 9-11 and subsequent War on Terror was a big breakthrough in the regional dynamics. Uzbekistan at that time had provided an airbase to the United States (US) at Karshi-Khanabad and a base for German unit at the bordering town of Termez. However, US base was closed down in 2005 after the Uzbekistan- US estrangement over the Andijan incident. One of the supply lines of the Northern Distribution Network (NDN) passed from Uzbekistan through the Friendship Bridge, which carried almost 70 percent of the oil used for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) operations.

Uzbekistan-Afghanistan relations have experienced steady improvement in last couple of years, based on cooperation in fields of trade, transport, electricity, etc., as follows:-

• A railway line from Termez to Hairatan carries wheat and flour, fuels, fertilizers and consumer goods from Uzbekistan. This is one of the most important freight carriers to Afghanistan.
• In 2011, Uzbek national railway company Temir Yu’llari constructed the 75 kilometer long Hairatan-Mazar-e-Sharif railway. The cost of USD 1.5 billion was funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
• Uzbekistan also constructed 11 bridges and crossings on the road connecting Mazar-e-Sharif and Kabul.
• Uzbekistan is one of the most significant suppliers of electricity to Afghanistan. A power transmission line was laid in 2009 with the capacity of 150 megawatt (mW) to supply electricity to Kabul. It was then increased to 300 mW.

With the population of 32 million, Uzbekistan is the most-populous country in Central Asia. With its vibrant and diversified economy, it can potentially offer a lot to Afghanistan in its process of national re-construction, especially in terms of food security, energy and technological assistance.

Uzbekistan has been concerned with the spillover of insecurity from Afghanistan, which has multiplied in the aftermath of US withdrawal. Any blow to security and stability in Afghanistan is seen as the destabilizing factor for neighboring CARs. Even though considerable number of ethnic Uzbeks live in Afghanistan, it has seldom been a decisive factor in the bilateral relations. Major drivers in this regard are security concerns and economic interests.

Mirziyoyev’s Policy of ‘Neighborhood First’

President Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan, after coming to power in 2016, reiterated that Central Asia forms the top priority agenda of his external affairs. Being a landlocked country, Uzbekistan heavily depends on all its neighbors for internal as well as external growth. Keeping this in mind, Mirziyoyev has been working hard to improve relations with other CARs and Afghanistan. This was reflected in his 12 visits to the CARs in a year and several rounds of bilateral meetings during the visits and on the sidelines of various international summits.

In first nine months of 2017, the trade turnover between Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan has increased by 30 percent. Similarly, its improving relations with Kyrgyzstan are underlined by the delimitation of border, opening of border crossings and attempts at solving the water dispute. In case of Tajikistan, a direct flight between Tashkent and Dushanbe was resumed after the lapse of more than 25 years. The balanced, open and pragmatic foreign policy of Mirziyoyev has created a positive environment of regional cooperation.

Enhancing Uzbek-Afghan Ties

Relations between Uzbekistan and Afghanistan have considerably enhanced in last couple of months. In January 2017, the Foreign Minister of Uzbekistan Mr Abdulaziz Kamilov paid an official visit to Kabul. During this visit, the two sides signed a bilateral trade and economic ‘Road map’ for increasing the bilateral trade up to one billion USD. In 2016, the trade turnover was about USD 520 million. Agreements were also signed for cooperation in fields of transport infrastructure, security and combating drug trafficking.

Uzbek-Afghan Presidents held bilateral meetings in Astana on the sidelines of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in June 2017 and the Science and Technology Summit of the Organization of Islamic Countries (OIC) in September 2017. In May 2017, Mirziyoyev appointed Mr Ismatilla Irgashev as President’s Special Representative for Afghanistan.

In November 2017, a direct passenger flight between Tashkent and Kabul was started for the first time by Kam Air, Afghan national airline. Aviation cooperation between the two countries also includes training of Afghan pilots, maintenance of Kam Air aircrafts, and transit facilities in Tashkent.

President Ghani’s December 2017 visit to Uzbekistan was a step forward in enhancing Uzbek-Afghan ties. The two presidents conducted talks in narrow as well as extended format and signed a Joint Statement. 20 inter-ministerial agreements were signed in the fields of trade, transit, security, electricity and education. Take away points from the visitare as follows;

• Agreement on constructing a railway line between Mazar-e-Sharif and Herat.
• Construction of Surkhan- Pul-i-Khumri Power Transmission Line with capacity of 500 kw.
• Establishment of Joint Commission on the Security matters.
• Agreement on cooperation in security of the Hairatan Bridge.
• Uzbek-Afghan Trading Houses set up in Kabul and Mazar-e-Sharif, and International Logistic Center in Termez.
• Afghan Consulate was opened in the border city of Termez.

The two countries pledged for joint efforts to fight the challenges posed by international terrorism and foreign fighters, extremism, transnational organized crime, illegal migration, illicit drug and trafficking of psychotropic substances. The Presidents also stressed the need for political solution to ensure peace and reconciliation between the Government of Afghanistan and the Taliban through an Afghan-led process. It was emphasized that peaceful settlement should be in compliance with funda
mental international norms and principles enshrined in the United Nation Charter.

Conclusion

Uzbekistan and Afghanistan, being neighbors, form the core of each other’s foreign policy. Security situation in Afghanistan can have a direct impact on security and stability of Central Asia. Therefore, Uzbekistan is supporting the Afghan government in restoring peace. It is also providing assistance for development of transport and energy infrastructure and integration of Afghanistan into the regional economic process.

India has also cultivated robust relationship with Afghanistan, which spans political, security, economic, educational, cultural and humanitarian spheres. Recently, we have sent the inaugural consignment of 15000 tons of wheat to Afghanistan through the Chabahar Port. This has opened up a new trade and transit corridor for India to connect with Afghanistan and CARs. Cooperation in arenas of trade, connectivity, energy and security can bring closer the regional powers like India, Uzbekistan and Afghanistan, which cherish Civilizational Connect of thousands of years.

(Views expressed are of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the VIF)

Uzbekistan, Uzbeks and Terror: Complex Realities

27 Dec, 2017|Dr Rashmini Koparkar, Research Associate, VIF

The New York terror attack has time and again alarmed the international community about the rising terror attacks carried out by persons of Central Asian origins. On 31 October, a 29-year old Uzbek national, called Sayfulla Saipov, drove a truck down the Manhattan bike lane, killing eight and injuring 11. As a matter of fact, Saipov was not the first in the list. In last one year, radicals belonging to Uzbek nationality have carried out such attacks in Istanbul, Stockholm and St Petersburg.

Ethnic-Uzbeks also form a significant chunk in the list of foreign fighters in Syria and Iraq. Estimates about the number of fighters from Uzbekistan, by various state and other sources, vary from 500 to 2000. The Soufan Center in its latest report puts this number at 1500¹. Ethnic-Uzbeks get recruited also from countries like Kyrgyzstan, Afghanistan or Russia.

Occurrence of a series of attacks in which Uzbeks were involved has started a fresh debate on whether Uzbekistan has emerged as a hotbed of extremism in recent years. However, merely counting the number of terrorists belonging to a particular nationality is not sufficient to establish that it is becoming a hub of terrorist activities. The interplay between Uzbekistan, ethnic-Uzbeks and terrorism is very complex and needs wider introspection.

Religion as a Factor of National Identity in Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan became independent in 1991, after being part of the closed Soviet system for more than seven decades. First President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov, who ruled the country for almost 25 years, tried to keep intact secular credentials of the State. Nevertheless, use of Islamic symbolism was part of the newly emerging nationalist discourse. President’s pilgrimage to Mecca, his swearing in on the copy of the Quran, state-sponsored revival of Islamic institutions, glorification of Islamic thinkers like Bahauddin Nakshbandi and Imam Bukhari, were more or less part of the strategy to garner popular support. Islam played a significant role in construction of Uzbek national identity, just like other factors like language, history and culture. In post-independence discourse, Uzbek national identity is generally stronger and superior, which encompasses all other identities. Supra-national identities like Islam or Turkish language, or the sub-national identities like regional or clan identities influence just a fraction of population.

There are historical factors that can justify why language, religion and culture have played important role in Uzbek nation-building. The land where Uzbekistan is situated has been at the crossroads of world civilizations. As ancient trade routes passed through this territory, it gave rise to prosperous cities like Samarkand and Bukhara. The region played the role of spiritual and cultural epicenter of Islamic traditions for considerably long period. Subsequent rulers promoted Islam as the State religion. This is the reason why Uzbeks happen to be more religious than other Central Asian nationalities that followed nomadism. Therefore, it was quite obvious that religion would surface after removal of the ‘lid’ of socialism.

Radicalization and Response of the State

Uzbekistan has experienced religious revival since independence. Many of the Mosques and Madrassas that were closed down during the Soviet times were reopened and Friday sermons were reinstated. Number of hajj pilgrims dramatically increased in initial years of independence. There is a thin line between religiosity and radicalization which was crossed in some regions in 1990s, most prominently in the Fergana Valley.

Trans-national terrorist networks, spread of Wahhabi literature and ideas, and ongoing Civil War in Tajikistan (1992-97) provided fertile ground for spread of radicalism. The Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) that was established in 1998 in the Fergana Valley, had sway over young minds through distribution of pamphlets on Jihad. They vehemently attacked Karimov government for its policies towards religion. The year 1999 witnessed chain of incidences such as Tashkent bombings, attempt at assassinating President Islam Karimov, and Islamist uprising in Namangan.

Spread of Islamist ideology in the Fergana Valley had other reasons too. Firstly, being the most densely populated region in Central Asia, dwellers of the Valley faced problems like poverty, unemployment, scarcity of resources, leading to increasing attraction of the extremist ideology. Secondly, the Valley is artificially divided in three Republics of Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. Ethnic entangle, with presence of all three titular nationalities on each side of the border, worsened the situation. Porous borders facilitated easy movement in other republics and also in northern regions of Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Violent incidences of 1999 alarmed the State to come down heavily on the extremists, leading to hundreds of arrests and sentences. Militant organizations like IMU were banned inside the territory of Uzbekistan. Because of these steps, these militants had to take refuge in Afghanistan and Pakistan. On the other hand, the State established firm control over the religious institutions, through official religious appointments and regulated preaching. The Andijan incident² of 2005 was sternly crushed by the State leading to huge casualties. The government of Uzbekistan was criticized by the West for this crackdown. They also termed the Karimov regime as ‘autocratic’ and ‘human rights violator’ leading to a degree of sanctions or restrictions. However, regional major powers like Russia and China backed the regime in its efforts to fight terrorism.

Through stern measures, the State has maintained relative peace and stability and has not let the threats cross the threshold. The Global Terrorism Index has ranked Uzbekistan 123rd out of 160 countries in terms of ‘Impact of Terrorism’. Amongst post-Soviet countries, it is one of the least terrorism affected countries, when compared to its neighbors like Russia (Rank 33), Tajikistan (Rank 72) and Kyrgyzstan (Rank 79) ³.

Radicalization of Uzbeks outside Uzbekistan

Uzbeks is numerically the largest community in Central Asia. Apart from Uzbekistan where they form majority, they also constitute significant minority in all other Central Asian Republics as well as Afghanistan. Uzbeks living in each Republic face their own peculiar problems. In the phase of nationalist revival, growing resentment against the non-titular nationalities has proved to be one of the causes of radicalization. The matter gets worse with trans-national radical organizations preaching global Jihad and denouncing nation-state system.

People belonging to the Uzbek nationality have been migrating to Russia, Turkey, US or Europe for seeking jobs. Push factors for out-migration include lack of opportunities of higher education, scarcity of jobs, and economic hardships. However, the same migrants face a different set of problems in countries they have migrated to, such as lack of white-collar jobs, low pay scales, harsh living conditions and poor knowledge of English language. Many of them are unable to adapt to new social conditions, leading to identity crisis. Migrants are more prone to radicalization, as the feeling of marginalization is very high amongst them. It is observed that considerable number of Uzbek migrant workers in Russia have joined the ISIS.

The trend of ‘self-radicalization’ is very common amongst Central Asian terrorists. Number of these fighters have chosen this path on their own, after falling prey to social media propaganda. There are indications suggesting that the New York attacker Saipov might also be from this category. He had migrated to US in 2010 as a result of the lottery visa that gave him a green card. His life till 2010 in Tashkent was underlined by decent education and humble religiosity. It is established both by the American and Uzbek security forces that the guy was radicalized after leaving Uzbekistan.

Conclusion

Problem of radicalization of the Uzbek youth, whether in or out of the country, is a serious concern. Government of Uzbekistan duly acknowledges this threat and is trying to address it at various levels. It is understood that in the first half of 2016, law enforcement detained about 550 people on suspicion of involvement in extremist activities⁴. The State is aware that although IMU activities were wiped out from the territory of Uzbekistan long back, the ideology still has some following. In 2015, IMU had announced its allegiance to the ISIS and has recruited some Uzbek fighters from northern Afghanistan and Pakistan.

The Government is working hand-in-hand with other regional powers in counter-terrorism strategies at bilateral as well as multilateral level. Regional Anti-Terrorism Structure (RATS) of Shanghai Cooperation Organization’s (SCO) is situated in Tashkent, which has done some work in terms of information sharing and counter-terrorism. However, a lot more needs to be done.

Shavkat Mirziyoyev, who was elected as Uzbek President in December 2016, has introduced unique ‘preventive’ measures to deal with the menace of terrorism. The program is called “Education against Ignorance” to propagate the ‘true essence’ of Islam. Through education, young minds of Uzbekistan are to be taught values of peace, tolerance and coexistence, to prevent them against future radicalization. Such attempts coupled with stern security measures and multi-lateral cooperation can potentially lead to counter-radicalization in the long run. Till then, rising number of Uzbek fighters within ISIS or otherwise shall haunt the region as well as the world.

End Notes

1. Richard Barrett, “Beyond the Caliphate: Foreign Fighters and the Threat of Returnees”, The Soufan Center, October 2017.

2. An armed uprising occurred in the Uzbek city of Andijan on 13 May 2005. This revolt was against the secular Uzbek regime. The uprising was cracked down by armed security personnel of the Uzbek State. In this incident, number of men and women from both sides were killed. This event was painted in different colors by the state and the western media. The US and the West criticized Uzbekistan for human rights violations in the crack down. However, actions of the Uzbek State were supported by powers like China and Russia.

3. Global Terrorism Index 2017, Institute for Economics and Peace.

4. US Department of State, Country Reports on Terrorism 2016, Section on Central and South Asia, URL: https://www.state.gov/j/ct/rls/crt/2016/272233.htm.

(Views expressed are of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the VIF)