Central Asian Countries Should Not be Labeled as Post-Soviet, According to Expert
Historian and political scientist Zhar Zardykhan from Kazakhstan recently spoke at the IV International Conference Esimde in Bishkek, shedding light on why the Central Asian states should not be labeled as post-Soviet countries.
Despite over 30 years of independence, Zardykhan pointed out that the countries of the former Soviet Union still refer to themselves as post-Soviet. He highlighted the stark differences in economic and political systems between countries like Lithuania and Turkmenistan, yet they all still carry the post-Soviet label.
Zardykhan emphasized that other regions do not use similar labels, such as Croatia being called post-Yugoslav or Slovakia being labeled as post-Czechoslovak. He questioned why Central Asian countries continue to use the post-Soviet tag when other countries do not adopt similar terminology.
The IV International Conference, with the theme of “Post-Communist Central Asia: Space for Reflection,” is set to take place from October 17 to October 19 at the OloloPlanet creative hub in Bishkek. The conference aims to delve deeper into the complexities of the region’s history and political landscape.
