Tajikistan–Uzbekistan relations

Uzbekistan – Tajikistan relations

Uzbekistan
Tajikistan

Uzbekistan–Tajikistan relations refers to the relations between the Republic of Uzbekistan and the Republic of Tajikistan. Analysts say that the two countries are "engaged in an undeclared cold war"[1] and have the worst bilateral relations in Central Asia.[2]

Conflicts

Russian and Soviet occupation

When the Russian Empire conquered all of Central Asia, Russia declared the capital of Russian Turkestan as Tashkent, a majority Uzbek city. The Russians later began to prohibit rights for Uzbeks and Tajiks -- especially the Tajiks due to the capital being in Uzbekistan.

After World War I, Soviet Red Army forces began combating the Turkic revolution in Central Asia in which Enver Pasha participated in, and later died as a result. The Soviet Union decided to pertain the capital in Tashkent, and continued Tsarist-style ruling in Central Asia. When World War II began, so many people in the Caucasus (mainly Muslims, (Azeris, Turks, Chechens, Tatars, and Circassians) were deported to Central Asia and Siberia, and that prevented tensions for a while. After the war ended, the conflicts between Tajiks and Uzbeks began resuming again.

After the Soviet Union fell in 1991, conflicts between both groups emerged when Tajiks attacked Uzbek goods in Tajikistan whilst Uzbeks banned Tajik goods in Uzbekistan.

1992-97 Tajikistani civil war

The Civil war in Tajikistan broke out when ethnic groups in Tajikistan began clashing, and they later engaged into a war with devastating casualties. During this war, Uzbek troops entered into Tajikistan prevent war, but their efforts were futile due to personal disagreements between leaders of both countries. Nevertheless, Uzbekistan received a flood of Uzbek and Tajik refugees from Tajikistan due to the ongoing war, most of whom remained in Uzbekistan after the war.[3]

Rogun dam

Tajikistan had long planned to build what would be the world's largest hydropower dam, the Rogun Dam, on the Vakhsh River. The project was initially proposed by Soviet engineers in the 1950s, but actual construction was postponed by the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. The dam would bring energy independence to Tajikistan, but Uzbekistan argues it would damage its lucrative cotton industry by drying up rivers. In 2012, Uzbekistan president Islam Karimov warned, without naming Tajikistan, that certain dam projects may lead to a regional war in Central Asia.[2]

Gas export to Tajikistan

Tajikistan depends mainly on gas imported from Uzbekistan, and has few other energy sources; as a result, it suffers from chronic electricity shortages. Uzbekistan uses the energy arm to curb Tajikistan in the Rogun Dam dispute. Analysts estimate Tajikistan’s gas requirements at 1.2 billion m³/year while in 2012, the country only received one-tenth of this amount at a price of US $300/1000 m³. This quantity has been enough to operate just one Tajik power plant.[4]

Kamchik Pass railway

In 2013, Uzbekistan announced its plan to build a new railway through the Kamchik Pass, connecting the cities of Tashkent and Namangan. The new railway route will replace the old Soviet-era railway that cuts through northern Tajikistan. It would save Uzbekistan a reported $25 million per year in transit fees, and may become part of a long-planned rail route to China. Tajik experts have stated concern that this would potentially further isolate Tajikistan which is already the poorest country in the region.[2] In February of 2015, the World Bank announced it would loan $195 million towards the construction of the railway.[5]

References

See also


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