The countries of Central Asia (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan) now occupy a decisive strategic position at the heart of a Eurasia undergoing restructuring. Located at the crossroads of Russian, Chinese, Turkish, Iranian and Indian influences, the region is under even greater strain as the return of the Taliban in Afghanistan and the war in Ukraine profoundly alter its geopolitical environment. Since gaining independence in 1991, these five states have sought to assert their own interests, exert influence in regional organisations dominated by Moscow and Beijing, and capitalise on their assets: energy, rare earths, mineral wealth, agriculture and key locations on the New Silk Roads. Despite these prospects, many challenges remain: military modernisation, adaptation to climate change, the rise of a new generation demanding greater freedoms, and vulnerabilities to regional trafficking. In this book, the author offers «100 keys» to understanding this strategic region.
Michael Levystone is a specialist in Central Asia and co-founder of the Observatory of New Eurasia (ONE). A doctoral student at the Europes-Eurasie Research Centre at INALCO, he was previously an associate researcher at the Russia/Eurasia Centre at IFRI. A graduate of ESSEC, IRIS and Paris V-Descartes University, he has worked at the French Embassy in Kazakhstan and at the Franco-Russian Observatory in Moscow, where he developed recognised expertise in regional political and geopolitical dynamics. He is the author of the book Central Asia. The awakening published in 2024.
