ABSTRACT
The events of September 11 have changed the world as perhaps no other event since the Pearl Harbor attack. The United States had to face a new and elusive enemy which it never seriously considered as threat. The new conflict brought a new geometry to the US-Russian relations, propelling Russia to the first rang of US allies in the war on terror. This chapter sketches the new US-Russian 'rapport de force' in the light of the last 25 years of often conflicting US-Russian relations in Central Asia. The Middle East and the Central Asian region needs a new collective security system that would bring all parties in line with the norms of international law. The first step in that direction is to recognize the future partners' economic and political interests in the region. The new security system must involve both US and Russia. In fact, Russia must be allowed to play a crucial role in this emerging equation.
