DUSHANBE, November 5, 2008, Asia-Plus — Priorities of the United States in Central Asia will not change, Abdughani Mamadazimov, the head of the National Association of Political Scientists of Tajikistan, told Asia-Plus today, commenting on further cooperation of the United States with Central Asia’s states after election of Democratic Senator Barack Obama as President of United States.
“The Central Asian region will remain strategic partner for the United States as long as international antiterrorist coalition continues acting in Afghanistan,” Mamadazimov said.
According to him, another priority area for the United States in Central Asia is local energy resources. “The United States wants to have leverage on management of the Central Asian energy resources, namely to deliver the Central Asian hydrocarbons to the West bypassing Russia,” the expert said.
He also named democratization of the post-Soviet area as one important aspects of the US policy toward Central Asia, including Tajikistan.
