Introduction international organizations

T ASK 3
Based on the text above, decide whether each
statement is true or false.

No	Statements	T/F
a.	The Central Asian Union (the CAU) is an non-intergovernmental organization
b.	Kazakhstan has more population than Uzbekistan
c.	The CAU has 6 members
d.	Tajikistan is not an observer of the CAU
e.	Afghanistan is also member of the CAU
f.	Central Asia’s population is more than 66 million

TASK 4
Read the following text.

The Central Asian Union’s history
The old union. The concept of a Central Asian union emerged soon after the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. Although all states acceded to the newly formed Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), it was felt that more regional cooperation was needed. In early 1992, Tajikistan plunged into the Tajikistani Civil War (1992–7) between government forces and various



Islamist rebel factions supported by the Taliban; thus they could not participate in the integration process. Turkmenistan preferred to maintain neutrality, and decided not to partake in CIS or Central Asian integration.
The remaining three republics Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan signed a treaty on 23 September 1993 to create an economic union, which was followed by a proclamation of a "single economic space" on 10 February 1994, and the establishment of an Interstate Council with an Executive Committee on 8 July 1994. In theory, any CIS member state could join the Central Asian Union.
The Union was also given a military dimension. Still in civil war, Tajikistan joined the CAU as an observer in 1996. A Council of Defence Ministers was formed, and, under the aegis of the United Nations, a peacekeeping force was formed, which held its first training exercises on the territory of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan in September 1997.