The analysis of today's state of relations between Central Asian countries shows that their governments are more and more inclined to consolidate good-neighborly relations. After all, there comes the time of recomprehension of the first hasteful steps aimed at the defense of national interests which caused blunders having brought nothing good to the peoples of the region except aggravation in relations. It is no secret that a lot of unilateral and bilateral solutions were accounted for by the civil war in Tajikistan and the threat, which arose from the territory of Afghanistan. But now all this removed to the past. Each state proclaiming itself to be of law-abiding, secular, democratic slant now tries to demonstrate in reality its strive after building up a civil society.
Can one build up such a society being in deep isolation? Not, of course. Only the very isolation of one's own people confining its locomotion contradicts to the norms of international right. If to treat the level of observance of rights and freedoms of citizens under this angle, then one must say that Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan created good prerequisites for reforms. We shan't speak about Kazakhstan because here from the very beginning the society managed to battle out the main thing - freedom of word and press. It is important because any power will try to preserve as many levers of governing people as possible and it is hardly imaginable to concede them on a voluntary basis. And it is not occasional that many international organizations acknowledge today the progresses of Tajikistan in reforming the political system of the country.
As for the barriers between Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, on the one hand, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan on the other hand, they are not linked with the economic course of the country. All countries have one course - that of market economy. Somebody enjoys a free market, others - a regulated one. To my mind, the Uzbek people found itself in isolation by virtue of the chosen political course determined more by the ambitions of one man than by the aspiration of the people. A precipitous economic jerk the government had laid accounts with didn't come off. Uzbeks and Tajiks (there are no few of them in Uzbekistan) simply couldn't by Japanese. The main blunder was in ignoring neighbors, especially Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan, in undervalued role of Russia, though practically the economy of all Central Asian countries was oriented on that of Russia. It should be imputed just to self-isolation that Turkmenistan is unable to achieve, at least, some noticeable shifts in economics in spite of the richest power resources.
Meanwhile, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan having realized the necessity of partnership consolidation are gradually removing tension in the relations between peoples. Of course, not without the help of the international organizations. Now the controversial questions concerned with water and territory are less disturbing ones for the two neighboring people. We can't say that president Akayev or the leader of the Tajik state Rahmonov are devoid of ambitions completely but they understood one thing long ago: if there is a necessity of friendship, ambitions should be deafened. And the main thing is that the peoples of both countries consider that it is better to move forward together and not alone.
Both Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan are poor countries. Natural resources should not be scored, and they have been tapped into the bargain. One must not speak about power supply potential either, of course, its realization would bring the both states into the ranks of developed ones. What should be done firstly is to form conditions for evolution and progress, but the latters are impossible without public concordance, stable situation in the entire Central Asian region. We need friendship, steadfast peace, cooperation, with the Uzbek people inclusive; the latter wishes the same as Tajiks and Kyrgyzes do.
The level of people's life always depends on the degree of economic relations. No economic projects would save us if small and middle-sized entrepreneurship is not developed. Businessmen will build factories and plants in due time if they find it necessary. And this sort of business is quite real under the conditions of Central Asia with its vast territory. In the Ferghana Valley there live three peoples - neighbors, their states are at the junction and they are eager to reach out for one another. And if to compare their living standard with that one of a Russian province they don't live worse. It is contrary to the fact that Russia has moved forward by large in its development. The nature of the Ferghana Valley is unique, but people are unique too. Their primal worth is industriousness. All the three peoples possess it. They need neither power nor ambitions. They want one thing - that of peace, they want to work without being hindered, to make friends, to collaborate.