TEHRAN (Iran News) – Countries, so-called the Central Asians, of Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan, all in a hidden and intangible unity pursue a policy in their political, social, and even economic relations in order not to be labeled either as leftist or rightist. They are pursuing the existing ground for establishing ties very smartly. That what process we can have with these countries as a country with independent spirits and away from extreme western investment or democratic socialism approach requires a foreign ministry deeply believes in the Islamic Revolution.

In the Foreign Ministry of the Islamic Revolution of Iran in the past 42 years due to the inclination towards the West, there has been never a ground for creating organic links in order to define a lasting framework for ties with each of these Central Asian countries based on the mutual interests. These countries have never sacrificed and will never sacrifice two major principles in their foreign policies for their momentary interests. In their relations with other countries, these countries have accurate and defined policies and pursue them. The titles that they have chosen for these two principles are First diversification is not monopolizing the relations and secondly balancing in joint exploitation in relations as they are willing to cooperate with big powers like Russia, China, Europe, and the U.S. and even with the Islamic Republic of Iran.

At the level of the regional powers, countries like Turkey, India, and other ones have certain definitions and clear stands in their foreign policy baskets of the Central Asian countries. These countries in their aligned and convergence policies pursue openly this strategy in order that no power in Central Asia can have absolute and dominating power. Indeed, these countries want to adapt their relations with China through adapting ties with Russia; to force Russia for the competition via China, and through these two major powers force the U.S. for giving concessions. In between, the ground for Iran’s acting in Central Asia can be studied in the very context.

Perhaps it can be analyzed in terms of structural defense that all Central Asian countries have this concern that Shanghai Cooperation Organization may turn into an anti-West bloc or an East NATO; therefore, these countries do not have any will to enter an open encounter with other countries, regions or treaties. They are cooperating with the U.S. as one of their partners but this cooperation will continue until the U.S. does not dominate the strategic and lasting strategic affairs in those countries. Their relations with China is like it; the Central Asian countries broke away from the USSR in the ‘90s and today China is the main trade partner of them except Kazakhstan and this happens while with propagation policies of the U.S. intelligence service CIA and Western intelligence services, the project of Sinophobia has been spread in the region and to some extent in Central Asia, and it is because these countries are moving on course to adjust their relations with China and to reduce the role of Beijing in their economic and political relations.

These countries never want to agitate the U.S. with their policies of both eastern and western. In such a condition, an appropriate capacity is provided for the Islamic Republic of Iran to enter more interactions and co-operations with these states with taking into consideration the two acceptable and strategic principles of those countries as the principles of diversification and balance that I earlier explained in my article.

Of course one should regard this point that Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan do not want to replace China with Russia or the U.S.’ or to replace China with Iran. These countries do not want Iran, Russia, and China to enter cooperation with them in order to encounter the U.S. influence in the region. If Iran from this angle looks at the lucrative scene of cooperation with the Central Asian countries not like the past and in an exact and defined framework and brings in the important fields of for bilateral cooperation like rail, road and air transit or laying the ground for the arrival of private sectors of both parties in the framework of keeping the reciprocal balance and activate them, it can materialize convergent strategy with the neighbors.

Undoubtedly this strategy can meet the political, social, and economic interests of all of these countries. In our religious thought, the neighbor has had and has a rooted and attractive definition. Employing this content may activate this motivation in the opposite parties and boost the tourism field between every two countries.

In the exports of agro products, cooperation with Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and Shanghai Cooperation Organization and marine trade in the Caspian Sea with Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan can be put on the agenda of both sides for cooperation. By the way, security and enforcement cooperation in the fields of combatting drug trafficking, terrorism, and extremism especially with a focus on Afghanistan will be welcomed by the Central Asian countries. So we look at them in terms of attractions and in return they look at us in terms of having lasting relations. The next government in Iran will have a valuable climate ahead of it in this framework and in other words, it can tie a 400-million-people population together with friendship.