Uzbekistan on the threshold of the twenty-first century

the long version

The Central Asian states gained independence in 1991, when the Soviet Union disintegrated. Immediately, they were plunged into a process of radical and simultaneous, transition in several spheres - from dependent Soviet republics to full membership of the international community; from centrally planned economies to free markets; from enforced specialisation in the production of raw materials to balanced mixed economies. These newly independent countries are still at a fragile stage of their development. Inevitably, the speed of recent changes has caused severe stresses in society. The incipient dangers that are now emerging could, if unchecked, jeopardise prospects for peace and prosperity in the region. This new study of Uzbekistan's special opportunities and challenges as it faces the twenty-first century will be of interest to strategists, politicians and students of the post-Soviet climate.