Despite the efforts of the international community, most of the armed conflicts triggered by the breakup of the Soviet Union have not been resolved. This volume strives to cast a fresh look at the protracted conflicts and to identify factors promoting or preventing their settlement or transformation.

This volume analyses the economic, political and social dynamic of modern Kazakhstan as seen by insiders and Western experts. Their opinions converge on the assumption that there are hard times ahead but that Kazakhstan has the potential to weather the storm.