摘要
Uzbekistan's decision to leave the CSTO in mid-2012 took the international community by surprise. In this paper, the author will examine the multifarious implications of Uzbekistan's suspension of its CSTO membership, primarily focusing on regional security impacts as well as evident links between Uzbekistan's decision and increasing U.S.-Russian competition in Central Asia.
Uzbekistan delivered a diplomatic note to the CIS Collective Security Treaty Organization （CSTO） on June 28, 2012, demanding that its membership be suspended. This is not the first time that Uzbekistan has withdrawn from the CSTO, but this current move attracted particular concern because it happened a relatively bright time for the CSTO - as the organization was making substantial progress on security cooperation and right after Russian President Putin＇s visit to Uzbekistan.
