THE IMPACT OF THE NEW MEMBERS OF THE SHANGHAI COOPERATION ORGANIZATION ON POWER BALANCE IN CENTRAL ASIA

Abstract

Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, Central Asia has become the center that intersects the interests of many external players. For the last 30 years, Russia has been trying to keep its place as the key player in the region, but China has also become a very influential country in the region. There are several international organizations that link and oblige in some circumstances all these Central Asian countries and one of them is the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. Except for Turkmenistan, all other Central Asian countries are members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, where Russia and China share their interests as key players in the region. But the recent new members, India, Pakistan, and Iran, are also trying to connect with the Central Asian states, and their efforts will show their influence on the redistribution of the power balance in the region. Apart from member states, there are other countries like Turkey, the United States, and European Union that are searching for a way into the game.