This article examines the ethnic-political factors influencing regional stability in Central Asia, with particular attention to interethnic relations along Uzbekistan’s borders. The study argues that the multiethnic composition of several provinces creates conditions in which disputes over territory, water resources, and demographic pressures may escalate into broader security challenges. Central Asia’s geographic position at the center of Eurasia also makes it a point where the strategic interests of multiple external actors intersect, meaning that regional stability depends on both internal and external dynamics. Internal factors include interethnic relations, territorial claims, densely populated border areas, water distribution issues, and the role of religion. External influences are expressed through cultural, religious, and especially economic engagement by outside states seeking to advance their interests in the region. The article also highlights the historical roots of many contemporary tensions, tracing them to the nation-state delimitation carried out in the early twentieth century, when administrative borders were drawn in ways that did not fully correspond to the region’s ethnic landscape. As a result, unresolved border, water, and interethnic issues remain central to understanding the security environment of Central Asia today.
Aktam Jalilov (2006) studied this question.