ABSTRACT
This conclusion presents some closing thoughts discussed in the preceeding chapters in this book. Central Asia's autonomy is based on a balance between multiple smaller and greater actors. If the region is viewed as a site for competition and rivalry, local governments are forced to choose a camp and to play exclusively rather than complementary. As programs like CAREC show, development needs are so costly that only joint international strategies and investments make it possible to meet the expectations of Central Asian societies. The Central Asian arena has become very diversified in two decades of independence. Russia still remains one of the main relevant partners, even for reluctant Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, and the rise of other external actors is perceived by Western pundits to be largely at Moscow's expense. The Central Asian states remain slow to develop their primary wealth in human capital, which, of course, is an essential element of successful integration into a globalized world.
