All Central Asian states are fragile and authoritarian with a complex Soviet past. The main security threats in the region are armed border conflicts, inter-ethnic clashes, rise of nationalist rhetoric, extreme climate change, non-existing or limited civic space, low human development indexes, poverty and unequal distribution of natural resources. These security threats are interlinked, highly complex and frequently materialize. In addition to the regional security threats, Central Asia faces challenges posed by neighboring China and Russia. Russia considers Central Asia as its traditional sphere of influence, leaving no other alternatives - be it economic partnership or foreign policy trajectory.