This goes without saying.
The chairman of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) today told Kazakhstan that it has a better chance of leading the organization in 2009 than any other Central Asian state.
Well, I guess he (Belgian Foreign Minister Karel De Gucht) had to say something nice to offset the point that if Kazakhstan wants better than a snowball’s chance in hell of chairing the OSCE, there are important reforms to be made. Though I’m generally pessimistic that they will actually be made, chairing the OSCE has been an important goal for Kazakhstan and is certainly part and parcel of efforts to raise Kazakhstan’s international profile and prestige. So, perhaps this carrot will have some positive impact.
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Nathan Hamm – author of 2040 posts on Registan.net.
Nathan founded Registan.net in 2003. He was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Uzbekistan 2000-2001 and received his MA in Central Asian Studies from the University of Washington in 2007. Since 2007, he has worked full-time as an analyst, consulting with clients on Central Asian affairs, specializing in how socio-cultural factors shape risks and opportunities. Follow him on Twitter or drop him a line.