ABSTRACT
The shared history, culture, economy and more importantly the imperial legacy facilitates the growth of regionalism in post-Soviet Central Asia space. The huge economic, political and social costs of disintegration quickly dampened post-independence euphoria and dispelled any illusions that economic and political sovereignty would guarantee speedy growth and improvement in the standard of living. In global politics, regionalism indicates effective forms of mutual international cooperation under preferential conditions. Regionalism aims at maximizing development, security, sovereignty, prestige, international role, needs and interests. Representatives of the Commonwealth of Independent States member states meet regularly to discuss economic, military, political and social issues of common interest. Central Asian Cooperation Organization (CACO) and its predecessor organizations have failed to develop an effective structure for the coordination of regional economic, trade or security policies. With CACO’s failure in promoting regional cooperation, Central Asian leaders stepped up the process of joining and forming other regional structures, most of which included external actors.
