Central Asia is a region strategically located on the crossroads of the two continents. The region is represented by five states (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan) with different level of economic development and with the population amounting to over 60 million people. The region is rich in energy resources, represented by oil, gas, coal and hydropower resources. The thesis analyses, assesses and scrutinises one of the topical issues of the contemporary international relations - cooperation between the European Union and Central Asian states before and after adoption in June 2007 of the ‘European Union and Central Asia: Strategy for a New Partnership’, an important political document in the history of relations between the two parties. The new stage of cooperation is analysed more comprehensively accentuating priorities set in the Strategy. Analysis of the current state of affairs is conducted concerning some important issues of the Strategy related to regional cooperation between Central Asian states, such as integrated water management and development of hydro-energy system, issues of diversification of hydrocarbons supply routes from the region to Europe and provision of energy security, etc. Issues of cooperation between the European Union and Tajikistan are analysed as a case study. State of affairs between some of the European Union member-states and Central Asian countries is characterised. The thesis also scrutinises other regional/international actors engaged in cooperation with Central Asia (such as China, Russia, the US, Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, etc.) and their potential for interaction with the European Union for more effective joint solution of the problems existing in the region is assessed. In the conclusion, development of cooperation between the European Union and Central Asian states is scrutinised, the problems and their possible solutions in this regard are analysed, and the recommendations for increasing effectiveness of cooperation between the two parties are presented. The European Union’s foreign policy in Central Asia is interpreted from perspective of the theories of international relations namely neorealism, neoliberalism and constructivism in the end of every chapter.

La présence des Grecs en Asie Centrale et en Inde est la conséquence directe des expéditions d’Alexandre le Grand, lesquelles donneront naissance vers 250 avant J.-C. au royaume gréco-bactrien et vers 180 avant J.-C. au royaume indo-grec, séparés par l’Hindu Kush. 260 ans plus tard, le dernier souverain grec tombe sous les assauts indo-scythes. L’étude des monnaies frappées par les 45 rois de ces deux royaumes est fondamentale pour comprendre leur évolution économique et politique.A partir d’un corpus majoritairement inédit, fondé sur les monnaies issues du marché de l’art, nos travaux de thèse se sont focalisés sur six souverains présentant des problématiques intéressantes : la division du monnayage des souverains homonymes Diodote I et II, l’évolution typologique de l’Héraclès au revers des monnaies d’Euthydème I, les liens existants entre les monnayages d’Eucratide I et de Ménandre I, la place d’Hippostrate dans les souverains indo-grecs et indo-scythes.La méthodologie retenue, l’étude de coins, nous a permis d’apporter de nouvelles et précieuses informations sur les ateliers monétaires et le sens que l’on peut attribuer aux monogrammes. / The Graeco-Bactrian and Indo-Greek kingdoms find their origins in the consequences following Alexander the Great’s expeditions in Central Asia and India. Circa 250 BC, the Seleucid satrap seceded from the Seleucid kingdom and became king under the name Diodotus I; the Indo-greek kingdom appears circa 180 BC when the Greeks cross the Hindu Kush. 260 years later, the Indo-Scythians put an end to their presence. The coins struck by the 45 Graeco-Bactrian and Indo-Greek kings are the main data available to historians.Mostly based on unpublished coins sold on the art market, our PhD focuses on six kings, each of them offering a specific problematic: the coinages of Diodotus I and II, that presents the same title and typology; the evolution of the Heracles on the reverse of Euthydemus I’s coins; the links regarding especially the position of the legend on Eucratides I’s and Menander I’s coins; the position of Hippostratos among the last Indo-Greek kings in the West Panjab and the Indo-Scythians.The data provided by the die-studies allows us to dismiss or sustain the many hypotheses concerning the mints and their locations, as well as the meaning of monograms.

The thesis' main topic concerns issues of ceramic typologies of the field survey assemblages. The case study subject is represented by an assemblage originating from the Sherobod oasis, Uzbekistan, a significant district of ancient Bactria and a sphere of the Czech araeological mission's activities. The thesis aspires to define in theory, what are the most convenient features of a typology of heterogeneous and numerous assemblages. The work consists of two main sections. The textual section is theoretical. Attention is paid to the fundamentals of categorical thinking and concept of fuzzy logic is proposed for broader application in archaeological typologies. The second section presents an extensive, previously unpublished catalogue of pottery finds withdrawn within the activities of the Institute for Classical Archaeology, Prague, conducted by PhDr. Ladislav Stančo, Ph.D.

Central Asia is a region located between Europe and Asia, which gained sovereignty after the dissolution of the Soviet Union. In the first decade of independence all the countries had to deal with many problems within the states and were not interesting areas for foreign partners. But the situation has changed at the beginning of the new century, when the world faced the question of energy security and the thread of terroristic attacks from the neighborhood of Central Asia. Rich natural resources and key location of this region attracted global players as Russia, China or European Union. They started creating cooperation ties in many areas with Central Asian countries. The goal of this thesis is to describe the evolution and analyze the current state of mutual relations. Moreover to analyze weak and strong points of Central Asian economies and characterize problematic and perspective areas of cooperation, from which involved countries can benefit.

The Central Asia region, that once used to be condemned for a period of time, is now a golden target of the world leaders because of its natural resources so essential for the world. This attempt to get the access to important energies could cause worries about The New great game in Central Asia to many people. The aim of this thesis is to compare the power leadership of four world leaders, Russia, China, the USA and the EU, based on their hard and soft power in Central Asia region and to investigate the possible clash of interests of these countries quoting The New great game, Huntington's theory of Clash of civilisations and Brzezinski's Great Chessboard. At the very end of the theses there is an agreement of their interests, which would bring the answer to the negative assumptions and worries about the development of competition of the great powers in Central Asia.

The goal of this thesis is the investigation of the narratives of the originally Indian cycle of tales of the Enchanted Corpse (Sanskrit: Vetālapañcavinśati, Tibetan: ro sgrung, Mongolian: siditu' kegu'r-un u'liger) in their translation and cultural transmission to Tibet and Mongolia. Primarily, this work addresses these tales from a theoretical standpoint based on the writings of French philosopher Gilles Deleuze, whose idea of "nomadology" appears highly suitable for investigating the striking differences of all of the various linguistic mutations. In particular, Deleuze's analysis of language, nomadic space, "becoming" (devenir), the body without organs (corps sans organs), speech and silence, can be very effectively applied to the interpretation of these tales in the new cultural environments of Mongolia and Tibet.

The Central-Asian region, in current geo-political signification understood as the territory of five Post-Soviet states: Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, and partially of Kazakhstan, has went through a very rich and colorful historical development. During this development it has absorbed many different culture impulses and influences that helped the region to develop conditions for the formation of a distinctive artistic expression. To a certain extent, we can observe continuity in the development of traditional arts and crafts professions since early historical times until today. Among the most important craft branches we need to mention textile production, involving carpet weaving, processing of felt, fabrics and embroideries, and also artistic metal processing represented particularly by the jewelry production and last but not least, ceramics production. Arts and crafts have always had a very important position in the history and culture of Central Asia. Craftwork has been a subject of trade for a very long time period here, this fact being enhanced by the geographical position as well, since the region is situated on the route of the famous Silk Road. Arts and craft production, which comprised of common goods but also exclusive products of high artistic value, intended for the...

Central Asia, crossroads of ancient trade routes known as the Silk Road, absorbed for centuries the pulses of travelling cultural influences and created an environment for the existence of original artistic expression, which can be seen in jewellery making as well. The dissertation thesis deals with analysis of the findings from excavation units and individual pieces of jewellery, in most cases made of gold, which were often largely inspired by the culture of the ancient Mediterranean. The historical - geographic perspective of the work is focused primarily on territory of ancient Bactria and Gandhara - southern part of the former Soviet republics of Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, then northern and eastern Afghanistan and northern Pakistan. These areas were in the past centers of military activities and political formations, followed up in many aspects on the Mediterranean traditions. These political formations contributed distinctly to the dissemination and preservation of some elements of ancient cultural heritage in Central Asian architecture, sculpture and other fine arts and crafts. Most jewelry findings come from a fairly turbulent period of the 1st century AD, when the territory of Central Asia saw the progressive formation of Kushan Empire. The main part of the thesis consists of summary of the...

Water resources in the semi-arid to arid areas of Central Asia are often limited by low precipitation, and hence vulnerable to impacts of global change, i.e. socio-economic development and climate change. Both, socio-economic development and climate change are very likely causing significant changes as water resources are affected by two main effects: Firstly, growing population and industrial activities in the region raise the pressure on water resources due to increasing water abstractions. Secondly, air temperature in the region has been rising in the past far above global average and it is expected to increase further, which will lead to changes in runoff generation and therefore water availability. Increasing temperature as well as increasing water abstractions will affect water quantity and consequently water quality as a result of higher pollution intake or reduction in dilution capacity. Thus, it is of crucial importance to analyse and assess the state of current and future water resources to implement sustainable water management as the above mentioned effects very likely causing significant changes of water resources. Within the last years, the number of scientific research studies using large-scale models to simulate water availability and water use has increased substantially. Several new datasets from earth observations and new or improved models have been published (Werth et al. 2009; Werth and Güntner 2010; van Beek et al. 2011). Nevertheless, those studies focussed on water quantity and did not take into account impacts on water quality induced by global change although changes in water quality affecting aquatic ecosystems and species. Furthermore, spatially explicit large-scale modelling studies have not been carried out for Mongolia and Central Asia to get a comprehensive overview and assessment. To address this research gap, the large-scale water resource modelling framework WaterGAP 3 was applied to Central Asia with a focus on Mongolia to simulate impacts on current and future water resources. WaterGAP 3 consists of hydrology, water use and water quality sub-models in order to simulate current and future water quantity and quality.

This thesis deals with the phenomenon of Central Asian foreign fighters in Syria, 2011- 2017. It analyzes their radicalization, recruitment, and travel patterns. Special emphasis is placed on tracking the home states' responses, including elements of de-radicalization and counter-radicalization. The thesis has found that there is arguably no single factor explaining the Central Asian fighters' radicalization; nor is there a typical profile of a Central Asian fighter. Available data suggest that radicalization and extremist recruitment most often occur in Russia. Furthermore, the analysis of travel patterns has shown that the majority of Central Asian fighters traveled to Syria either indirectly via multiple countries (again, most often Russia) or directly from their country of origin, and then crossed the border from Turkey. The thesis concludes that all five Central Asian states have adopted policies to address the perceived security threat of returning foreign fighters, whereas the hard, restrictive and punitive approach has been prevalent all across the region.