Anyone in doubt about the direction of political orientation for the CIS countries of Central Asia need only look at the press statements and interviews made by Central Asian leaders over the past week to put their doubts to rest. Those unfamiliar with the trials and tribulations of the political situation in Central Asia may have confused some of the statements made in coincidence with the February 22nd informal summit of CIS leaders in Moscow with restatements of loyalty from wayward provinces.

The Kazakh president Nursultan Nazarbaev (in the strongest economic position of any Central Asian leader) characterizes Kazakh – Russian relations by saying, “we are solid allies – and that says everything” and goes on to emphasize the bilateral nature of the relationship – although he pays his dues to Russia’s ego by stating that, “Russia again presents itself as an important geopolitical pole, on which much of the international system depends” (In Russian, here).

Other leaders, such as the apparently universally popular Uzbek president Islam Karimov, have gone the route of more direct flattery by awarding Vladimir Putin the highest award in Uzbekistan, for “great contribution to development of cooperation and strengthening friendship between the two countries.” On the other hand, perhaps the award was just a consolation prize for Putin, whose party received a measly 64% of the vote in the recent Russian elections, compared to Karimov’s 88% in Uzbekistan.

Of course, if a complete focus on Russia and its interests is what you are looking for, look no farther than Kyrgyz president Kurmanbek Bakiev’s interview for the Russian Agency for International Information (in Russian, here). Bakiev spends much of the interview praising the work of Russian-oriented international organizations like the CIS and SCO, while clearly stating the preeminent position of Russia in Kyrgyzstan’s international outlook.

I speak as the president of Kyrgyzstan and say that our nation is for intimate and effective cooperation, first and foremost, with our strategic partner – Russia.

Bakiev strenuously protests any comparison of the political situation in Kyrgyzstan with that in Ukraine and Georgia – two other CIS countries that underwent so-called “color revolutions” in the past few years.

I should say that Kyrgyz democracy is truly different from this [perception]. Sometimes we are compared with Ukraine, with Georgia – but, those were revolutions, there the Americans helped. And what about Kyrgyzstan? We have nothing in common with these revolutionary processes that happened in Ukraine and Georgia, absolutely not.

Bakiev also attemps to allay Russian fears about the American Air Force Base at Manas Airport, as expressed through the reporter’s comment that, “it is said about Americans that if you admit them once they will never leave.” Bakiev responds by saying that, “we will be raising the question of the base’s withdrawal… it will absolutely not be permanent.”

While none of these comments are surprising in and of themselves, certainly the coincidence of them serves to highlight Russia’s continuing dominant role in Central Asia, despite the best efforts of China, Turkey, the EU and US, and others to reduce Russia’s influence.