Medvedev sends subtle signals to the West with Kazakhstan visit

analysis

Medvedev sends subtle signals to the West with Kazakhstan visit

By SRI ⋅ May 28, 2008 ⋅

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev made his first state visit on May 22 and 23, with Kazakhstan as his destination, before proceeding to China. Although he traveled east, his message seemed subtly calibrated for Western consumption.

His arrival in Astana did not indicate any shift in the foreign policy course pursued by his predecessor toward Central Asia, yet it served to highlight Medvedev’s confidence that in all the key bilateral areas of cooperation, Kazakhstan remains susceptible to pressure from Moscow and is unlikely to wander too far from the fold in its relations with the West.

Kazakhstan’s Foreign Ministry appeared to make no secret of basking in the glory of the high level visit and the display of Russia’s close relationship with Kazakhstan. It released a statement on Medvedev’s visit to Astana that served as a “confirmation of a high level of strategic partnership between the two countries. This visit is topical because of the need to preserve and extend the level that has been achieved and to realize the potential of Kazakh-Russian cooperation as fully as possible, as well as to expand possibilities for ensuring security and stability in Eurasia.” (ITAR-TASS, May 22). Additionally, both leaders discussed their relations within the wider context of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).

By Roger McDermott (Eurasia Daily Monitor)