Uzbekistan: Tashkent Announces Withdrawal from Moscow-Dominated Economic Group

Uzbekistan has announced its withdrawal from the Eurasian Economic Community, a grouping of former Soviet states that is dominated by Russia. Although Uzbek officials have not provided an explanation, Tashkent's motive appears rooted in an impression that the organization is inefficient.

Uzbekistan's departure comes amid ongoing efforts by the United States and European Union to repair a rift created amid the fallout over the 2005 Andijan events. The Eurasian Economic Community (EEC) was founded in 2000, but Tashkent joined the grouping in 2006. [For background see the Eurasia Insight archive].

In comments published by the Regnum news agency, political analyst Modest Kolerov suggested that Uzbekistan had grown disenchanted with the organization's inability to promote greater regional cooperation on water and energy issues.

Members of the Eurasian Economic Community include Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan Russia and Tajikistan. Three former Soviet states have observer status -- Armenia, Moldova and Ukraine.

Global financial turmoil may have hastened Tashkent's decision, Kolerov added. "The international financial crisis has already made the leadership of the region's biggest economies -- Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan -- take a number of measures to protect their financial systems and support domestic markets, whose local strategies make them shield themselves from defaults, social and economic as well as energy crises in the neighboring states," Kolerov said. "The international crises only exacerbated Uzbekistan's doubts about the EEC."