Policy Watch: Putin's potemkin alliance

Abstract

"Russian President Vladimir Putin places great store by the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, a regional international organization Russia co-founded in 2001 that also includes China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. The ostensible aims of the organization are to combat the three ""evils"" of terrorism, separatism and extremism, as well as to promote various forms of cooperation among the member governments. In addition to these stated goals, however, the organization also seeks to limit American and other Western influence in Central Asia, and to help member governments resist democratization efforts emanating both from inside and outside of the member states."