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The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) first came into being as the result of border negotiations between Russia and China but has evolved into Central Asia´s foremost regional organization. Comprised of Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and China, the SCO´s mandate encompasses both trade and security in a region that has once again become a site of geopolitical struggle. This book examines Russia´s long relationship with Central Asia and argues that this relationship, together with competition from the United States and China, has made the SCO a necessary tool for Russian foreign policy in the region.

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