The report “Russia’s Role in the SCO and in the Region: Challenges and Opportunities” is prepared as a part of Foundation for Development and Support of the Valdai Discussion Club research grant program. It is focused on the interaction between Russia and its Central Asian partners with SCO framework.
This report seeks to assess the SCO’s efficiency in terms of the level of regional cooperation in Central Asia; analyze the range of opinion in Russian and regional expert and policy-making communities concerning Russia’s goals and opportunities in Central Asia and the SCO; assess the key features of Central Asia’s post-Soviet political and socioeconomic development in the context of Russia’s foreign policy in the region; identify the strengths and shortcomings in Russia’s relations with Central Asian states, China and other extra-regional players, which can either encourage or hinder SCO activities in general.
The paper is written by Ekaterina Koldunova, Deputy Dean at School of Political Affairs and Associate Professor at the Department of Asian and African Studies, MGIMO-University and Nivedita Das Kundu, Assistant Director (Research) with the Indian Council for Social Science Research, New Delhi.
The authors of the report are the winners of the first research grant program for Russian and foreign scholars and experts in economics, political science and international relations, launched by Foundation for Development and Support of the Valdai Discussion Club in 2012.
