Central Asia and the Caucasus: An Arena for the Conflict between Russian and Western Interests

Due to its domestic problems, Russia failed to pay significant attention to Central Asia and the Caucasus after the collapse of the Soviet Union. This resulted in a geopolitical vacuum in the region followed by extensive activities done by regional actors including Iran, Turkey, Pakistan and Israel as well as world players such as NATO. Defining Central Asia and the Caucasus as 'near abroad' by Russian leaders and political, economic and social ties between the Russian Federation and the newly independent republics in those regions resulted in Russia's sensitivity and serious attention to the regions once again. The author argues that Russian efforts at maintaining its traditional sphere of influence and preventing Western presence on the one hand and Western attempt at extending its influence notably within the NATO framework on the other will make conflict of interests between Russia and the West inevitable.