Hunt for black gold has made Central Asia a highly tense spot in the world. There is a growing rivalry amongst nations to have a foothold in the region. Americans, Chinese are trying to have their share. Of course Russians are much against the presence of others eager to have a share in the hydrocarbon. Central Asia has been regarded by New Delhi as a particularly promising region for expanded relations and much closer bilateral ties. The historical links are indelible and encourage a modern day revival, so as to give body to the tangible yet hazy goodwill between India and Central Asia. But for all the desire to advance, not a great deal has actually been accomplished.

Trade remains marginal. Indian companies have been slow to reach out to Central Asia, scholarly exchanges remain scanty, and few people-to-people contacts have developed. The shadows under which it was born have largely been dispelled. In the early stages, it was feared that the many unsettled problems between countries that had hardly expected nationhood to be thrust on them might lead to tension and strife. One of them, Tajikistan, was embroiled in a dangerous civil war that seemed indissolubly linked to the conflict in neighboring Afghanistan. Others had their own internal and bilateral problems that threatened to pull them apart. But the difficulties of that time have largely been surmounted, and this has been achieved without strife.

The present more comfortable state of affairs permits closer international attention to be directed towards the rich natural resource endowment of Central Asia. Oil and natural gas are greatly sought after but there are others too, like uranium and copper, which can be developed. In the crucial hydrocarbons sector, competitive efforts are undertaken by international companies in the making of any major deal. Such competition naturally provides opportunities to the primary producers of these commodities. The big powers are pushing their way in, keeping a wary eye on each other as they pursue their interest. Questions of pipeline alignments whether through the traditional route across Russia or whether a new alignment bypassing Russia is to be preferred, are matters of endless debate and discussion.

The rise of China as a presence within the region is especially striking. Just a few years ago it hardly had anything to show but since then it has invested heavily and advanced rapidly. The numerous border problems that complicated its relations with Central Asian neighbors have been sorted out to the satisfaction of all the parties, and today China has the image of a responsible power that supports national sovereignties and is an acceptable partner in regional affairs. It has entered into major deals in oil and gas that have served to re-shape the export possibilities for these commodities, permitting them to move out eastward.

An important Chinese led initiative within the region is the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is in the common interest of the entire region and the SCO has gained much acceptability since it was initiated a few years ago. India and others are associated with it as observers. The SCO is seen as a factor for stability in a region where extremist forces are active and have made many strikes against the ruling establishment in many countries.