Between Giants: Central Asia Balancing China, Russia, and the Rest
The International Centre for Defence and Security (ICDS) is pleased to invite you to a presentation and discussion of a recently published report “Between Giants: Central Asia Balancing China, Russia, and the Rest,” by Dr Sanshiro Hosaka and Toomas Hanso, with support of the Georgian Foundation for Strategic and International Studies (GFSIS) and Estonian School of Diplomacy (ESD).
Date & Time: Thursday, 13 November 2025, 13:00-14:30
Place: ICDS seminar hall, Narva Rd 63/4 (East Building), Tallinn
The inauguration of the EU–Central Asia Summit in April 2025 in Samarkand testifies to the EU’s growing interest in the region, amid Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and the rise of the Middle Corridor between Europe and China. While Russia maintains traditional ties with Central Asian states, China is steadily expanding its influence not only in trade and connectivity but also in regional security. Meanwhile, Central Asian countries themselves are increasingly pursuing multi-vector foreign policies to maximise their own agency.
This event will examine key trends in Chinese and Russian engagement and discuss the opportunities and limitations for the EU and other international actors in the region.
The report is available here: https://icds.ee/en/between-giants-central-asia-balancing-china-russia-and-the-rest/
Participation
Please let us know whether you will join us by 12:00 on Wednesday, 12 November 2025. If you must decline, we would appreciate it if you could use the registration link to submit your response before the registration deadline.
This invitation is personal. Should you wish to transfer the invitation to someone else, please contact the organisers.
If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact the ICDS events team via [email protected].
The event is organised in cooperation with the Georgian Foundation for Strategic and International Studies (GFSIS).
We look forward to seeing you at the event!
