Russia’s conduct in the post-Soviet space in general and its policies toward Central Asia in particular should be seen within the context of Russia’s post-imperial readjustment. The notion of the sphere of “privileged interests” currently advanced by the Kremlin is a clear indication that Russia’s search for a new modus operandi with its ex-Soviet neighbours is a painful and, essentially, an open-ended process.

Moscow views Central Asia as an area of great strategic importance as it presents both considerable opportunities (due to the region’s rich energy resources) and serious threats (stemming from the region’s inherent instability and its proximity to volatile Afghanistan).

It’s disappointing that Crikey, like others in the liberal media, have fallen for the nonsensical line that the so-called "financial crisis" is either real or requires urgent action. Anyone who disputes this claim, which is advanced with evangelical fervour by its advocates, is howled down as a heretic and a "denialist". The days of the witch-hunt are truly back. Put simply, there is no evidence of a human-induced financial crisis, regardless of the hysterical claims advanced in trendy films like Al Gore’s Inconvenient Loot.