Central Asian Countries Vary Widely on Number of Foreign Embassies in Their Capitals

Paul Goble

            Staunton, March 15 – The overwhelming majority of governments around the world have extended diplomatic recognition to the countries of formerly Soviet Central Asia, but relatively few of them have established embassies in the capitals of the countries of that region, opting instead to have ambassadors in Moscow or elsewhere be jointly accredited.

            In a world of near instantaneous communications and jet travel, the presence or absence of such missions may not mean what it did a generation or more ago. But it is an indication of the importance and attention other governments give to countries in this region as in others and thus is a matter of concern in them.

            A new survey of the diplomatic presence of other countries in the five countries of Central Asia provides a useful measure of the interest other countries have in these countries (kaktakto.com/podborki/posolstva-kakix-stran-naxodyatsya-v-respublikax-centralnoj-azii/).  They are as follows:

·         Kazakhstan has 49 foreign embassies, 26 of which are in Astana and 13 in Almaty. In addition, it hosts nine consulates and consulates general.

·         Uzbekistan has 44 resident embassies and eight consulates.

·         Turkmenistan has 31 embassies.

·         Kyrgyzstan has 23 embassies but 30 consulates, the only country in the region where the latter outnumber the former.

·         And Tajikistan has 22 embassies in its capital.