President Hassan Rouhani’s recent trip to Turkmenistan cannot be dismissed as a one-off. Since coming to office in August 2013, the Rouhani administration has prioritized relations with the Muslim states of the former Soviet Union. Given the potential for economic ties and trade, Tehran’s aspirations are fully understandable.
Meanwhile, the Central Asian states are largely receptive. But for this latest momentum to gain enduring traction, Tehran has to be smart about its appeal to the Central Asians. For them, Iran is a very familiar civilization and a much-needed bridge to world markets. On the other hand, any attempt by Tehran to interject its Islamist ideology into relations will very likely give the famously cautious secular Central Asian governments reasons to once again pull away.
The five Central Asian states are all Muslim-majority countries but ruled by staunchly secular governments. To be fair to Tehran, the Islamic Republic has since 1991 never sought to forcefully push an Islamist agenda in its dealings with its northern neighbors. From a Central Asian perspective, for relations to become closer, it is imperative that Iran keeps it that way.
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