Azerbaijan, Baku, March 5 Trend , V. Javoronkova /
China is practically non-alternative partner for Central Asian countries, and their opinions must be taken into account, European expert on the CIS countries Alexander Rahr believes.
"It is very difficult for Central Asian region to choose economic partners, their choice for the region is enough limited," Alexander Rahr, director of the Russia-Eurasia Centre for foreign policy of Federal Republic of Germany told Trend over phone from Berlin.
China actively increases its presence in the Central Asian market over recent years. Beijing has made huge investments in projects for transportation of Central Asian energy resources to China.
Within 20 years after the collapse of the Soviet Union, Central Asian countries are still in the economic isolation, and it is difficult for them to find partners, Rahr believes. According to him, they haven't created common economic space between each other.
He said it is difficult for the Western companies to operate in these countries, besides, they need perspective that they can produce and sell their products in countries of region in order to receive enough economic benefit.
"European Union, which could be a major investor in Central Asia, is slow in this issue," Rahr says.
According to the expert, it happens because the EU doesn't want to take more risks. Besides, the Union has specified requirements for the region's countries, which don't hurry to fulfill democratic reforms, observance of human rights, European norms in economy, in economic law and others.
According to the expert, this hinders the cooperation of the region's countries with Europe.
According to Rahr, cooperation with major powers except China, is also problematic: America is too far from Central Asia, it is "quite scary to stay one on one" with Russia, Islamic countries are poor enough for economic cooperation, Iran is isolated and the situation in Afghanistan is unstable.
"There remains only China, which uses this opportunity and the isolation of Central Asia in order to advance their economic interests in the region," the expert said.
Rahr believes that the Chinese do it quite successfully, and they do not give up their interests, which "will have to be taken into account".
He said China is a very serious player in the world economic arena, it is a neighbor of the Central Asian region, just 10 years ago no one expected that it would begin such kind of expansion.
"China is enormous country, it needs the resources of Central Asia, I think Beijing will trade with these countries. The economy of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan will intensify in the end, and China will sell its products there," Rahr believes.