<p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p>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.</p>

Regionalism in Central Asia is often identified with the dominance of tribal affiliations in politics. This classification, however, is problematic because it neglects the extent of social change under the Soviet rule. In Soviet Turkmenistan state structures were relatively strong. However, personal relations within the Communist party had preserved patrimonial elements within the state. The dissolution of the Soviet Union led to a stronger patrimonialization of authority relations. In Turkmenistan, this process led to an extreme form of a neo-patrimonial state due to the personal and arbitrary rule of its president Nijazov.

In vielen Ländern ist Wassermangel ein zentrales Problem. Die Politikwissenschaftlerin Julia Bar ist der Ansicht, dass diese Krise in politischem und gesellschaftlichem Unvermögen der beteiligten Akteure begründet ist. Am Beispiel Zentralasiens analysiert die Autorin das Konfliktpotenzial der Ressource Wasser anhand der zwischen- und innerstaatlichen Dimension. Es werden die Nutzungs- und Verteilungskonflikte um das Wasser in der Region sowie die Faktoren zur Verbesserung der nachhaltigen Wassernutzung untersucht. Als zentraler Lösungsansatz wird das Konzept des Integrierten Wasserressourcen-Managements behandelt und seine Anwendbarkeit in Bezug auf Zentralasien diskutiert. Die Autorin kommt zu dem Schluss, dass für die Etablierung eines nachhaltigen Ressourcennutzungssystems Kooperation und Konsensfindung der Akteure entscheidend sind.

The increasing concentration of power in the hands of the presidential families in all Central Asian states led to the personalisation of the state during the last years. The presidents successfully established neo-patrimonial, authoritarian regimes with a high level of consolidation but without fulfilling the criterion of democracy. The article explores the strategies the presidents use to maintain their authority and discusses which political developments can be expected concerning the question of succession.

Karakalpakstan, Uzbekistan, has faced water scarcity and low water during several years as a consequence of Uzbekistan’s extensive irrigation of cotton fields. The environmental status of the Mejdurechye Reservoir, which is the largest in the lower Amudarya Delta, is therefore of great local importance. This thesis quantifies pollutant mass flows through the reservoir, concidering for instance salt, DDT and Lindane (HCH). Surface water flow paths through Mejdurechye Reservoir are also conceptualized in order to provide suggestions for future a possible monitoring program. Results show that chloride concentrations have decreased during July 2007-2008 with at least 10% in spite of a large specific evaporation and a reservoir volume reduction of at least 60%. The most important implication of this is that pollutants in the reservoir cannot have been subject of evapoconcentration during this period. DDT and Lindane have on the other hand increased with up to 50000% in concentration and 20000% mass compared to measurements dating back to 2002. A rough age estimation of DDT shows that the DDT has been mobilized recently. The results of this thesis may prove valuable when forming environmental policy plans and setting up future monitoring programs.

Around 1000 ya, Turkic language started to be introduced to Turkey and Azerbaijan (Region of language replacement, RLR) in parallel with the migrations of Turkic speaking nomadic groups from Central Asia. The Central Asian contribution to the RLR was analyzed with four admixture methods considering different evolutionary forces. Furthermore, the association between the Central Asian contribution and the language replacement episode was estimated by comparatively analyzing the Central Asian contribution to RLR and to their non-Turkic speaking neighbors. In the present study, analyses revealed that Chikhi et al.&rsquo / s (2001) method represents the closest estimates to the true Central Asian contributions. Based on this method, it was observed that there were lower male (13%) than female (22%) contributions from Central Asia to Anatolia, with wide ranges of confidence intervals. Lower contribution, with respect to males, is to be explained by homogenization between the males of the Balkans and those of Anatolia. In Azerbaijan this contribution was 18% in females and 32% in males. Moreover, results pointed out that the Central Asian contribution in RLR can not be totally attributed to the language replacement episode because similar, or even higher, Central Asian contributions in northern and southern non-Turkic speaking neighbors were observed. The presence of a 20% or more admixture proportion in the RLR, and the presence of even higher contributions around the region, suggested that language might not be replaced inaccordance with &ldquo / elite dominance model&rdquo / .

This thesis aims to discuss NATO&rsquo / s Partnership for Peace (PfP) program in Central Asia in terms of its role in promoting regional security. It focuses on the evolution of the cooperation between NATO and its Central Asian partners within the framework of the NATO&rsquo / s PfP program, as well as the Alliance&rsquo / s vision of security in Central Asia. The thesis argues that although NATO is active in Central Asia with its PfP programs, its engagement with the Central Asian states is mainly motivated by its own global security priorities rather than promoting regional security cooperation in Central Asia. This thesis comprises four main chapters. After the introduction chapter, the second chapter examines regional security challenges in post-Soviet Central Asia. The third chapter discusses the fundamental characteristics of NATO&rsquo / s PfP program and regional security in Central Asia. The fourth chapter examines NATO&rsquo / s PfP programs in individual Central Asian states by examining the priorities of each state in cooperating with the Alliance. The fifth chapter analyses the relevance of NATO&rsquo / s PfP programs for increasing its involvement in Central Asia since 2001 by taking its global and regional security priorities. The concluding chapter discusses the main findings of this thesis.

ABSTRACT THE ASPECTS OF CENTRAL ASIAN ECONOMIC INTEGRATION AFTER 1991: THE REASONS OF INEFFICIENCY Manasov, Zamirbek M. Sc., Department of Eurasian Studies Supervisor: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mustafa Sen September 2008, 105 pages This study seeks to analyze the dimensions of economic integration in the Central Asia after the independence. The collapse of the Soviet Union opened new perspectives for Central Asian states and gave chance to follow national policies independently. However, used to be parts of the big economic complex of the former Soviet Union and being lack of government experience in public and private economy made them to cooperate with old and new markets. The study argues that although there were established numbers of economic integration or cooperation institutions none of them could meet the region&rsquo / s economic expectations and needs. They were just results of unstable economic, political and social transition policies. Therefore well-functioning economy oriented cooperation institutions have not been established during the transition period due to different reasons. Analyzing of these reasons is the main goal of thesis. This study also argues that transition period put Central Asian states into the complexity of choices / economic interdependence or socio-political independence. Pushing forward previous choice offers lowering barriers to regional trade and transit, and to mobility of capital and knowledge and, to access to world market. Whereas, political and social development in national level does not suits previous one.

The study seeks to analyze the &ldquo / Tulip Revolution&rdquo / , its reasons and outcomes. With the collapse of the Soviet Union, newly independent Central Asian countries / Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan emerged in the world politics as independent sates. However, used to be parts of big complex system of former Soviet Union and being lack of government experience in politic and economic area made them to dependent on external actors. One of the main external actors has become United States with its promotion of democracy and liberalization, while the Russia was challenging not to lose its political and economical influence in these states. As a result of these external powers&rsquo / policy, within the time the leaders of these states found themselves in the complex choices, pro-Western or pro-Russian. Therefore political and economic developments of these states have become vulnerable. For these reasons the &lsquo / coloured revolutions&rsquo / in post-Soviet states, which was the struggle between the pro-Western and pro-Russian elites, were not a coincidence. The study argues that although &ldquo / Tulip Revolution&rdquo / had similarities in its occurrence with previous &lsquo / colourful revolutions&rsquo / the main reasons of the &ldquo / Tulip Revolution&rdquo / were the internal reasons, external reasons were only the accelerator factors. Analyzing of these reasons is the main goal of thesis.

This thesis attempts to analyze the continuity of nationality policies of Kazakhstan between Soviet and post-Soviet periods. As for the Soviet past the Soviet template of nationality policies was deeply rooted in Kazakhstan. Considering the Soviet template of nationality policies, this study conceptualizes the structure of it as first among equals under Russian hegemony. With regard to post-Soviet period, this thesis claims that the nation building policies were not born out of its ashes contrary to the mainstream arguments. This study aims to reveal how the post-Soviet nation building in Kazakhstan is still proceeding along with the Soviet template. Evaluating nation building process of independent Kazakhstan, this study emphasizes the rising titular hegemony of Kazakhs. In other words, this study attempts to analyze the transformation of first among equals taking into account the ethnic and civic aspects of nation-building oscillations