Thank you for your comment. I am more than happy to respond to your criticisms, assuming I understand them correctly. You seem to take issue with two comments I made in the post, so I will clarify as best I can.

First, you take issue with me implying that other countries in the region don’t have the potential for rapid economic growth. I should have qualified what I meant by “potential” in this particular case. Obviously, countries like Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan are gifted with natural resources and industrious, resourceful populations, but the economic strategies being pursued by their governments are stifling what economic growth may have been possible. This is much less true in Kazakhstan. Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan might have smart policies in some cases, but their economies are much smaller, and they are not as well endowed with natural resources.

You also seem to take issue with me writing that Kazakhstan is the regional leader (which you point out they would certainly like to believe). If not Kazakhstan, then who, and by what criteria? Kazakhstan quickly seems to be becoming the economic hub of Central Asia, a trend that is only increasing, and as that engine increasingly drives the region, the country’s power will grow as well.

Keep in mind, I’m not trying to advocate for Kazakhstan; many of my posts have been highly critical. In any case, I am interested in your perspective on theses issues in greater detail.

I am surprised your readers have not reacted to this piece as vociferously as to Peter’s post on the Turkmenistan sister blog. Nobody interested?

Overall, I’d agree that, on balance, the agreement should be of positive value for Kazakstan, though not for the same reasons. I happen to be a believer in free trade and for some reason think that free trade is fair, that when a bigger partner imposes discriminatory trade regime on a smaller partner it is unfair, and that when those restrictions are lifted should be welcomed.

I also find the claims of KZ’s perceived leadership in the region quite funny, just as the self-preaching about KZ’s chances for growth “unlike its neighbors”. In my interactions with the natives of Kazakstan, as well as other countries, I found a negative relationship between their level of comfort and self-confidence and willingness to express “specialness” of their own country and/or chances.