ABSTRACT
This chapter aims to examine what Russia under Boris Yeltsin has so far tried to achieve that could be identified as Russia's overall objectives in Central Asia and the Middle East. It looks at the Russian policy approach in pursuance of these objectives. Central Asia and the Middle East—the region stretching from Afghanistan to Morocco—proved to be a high-priority area in this respect. The chapter highlights some of the fundamental problems and dilemmas facing Moscow, with a view to envisaging Russia's future policy directions in the region. While stressing the importance of the Gulf as an area of serious economic and strategic interest to Russia, Foreign Minister Kozyrev paid a working visit to the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries in late April 1992. Russia's new relationship with Iran also will encourage the Arab states and Turkey to defer to Russia as the only power with the leverage to restrain Iran from destabilizing the region further.
