سخن سردبیر

More than a decade after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Central Eurasian region, encompassing most of these territories, continues to face extensive and rapid transformations. While the Russian Federation remains one of the principal actors in Central Eurasia, other regional and international players have also pursued diverse policies to secure their interests in this area. Russia, by proposing the concept of the "Near Abroad"-reminiscent of Leonid Brezhnev's "Doctrine of Limited Sovereignty" during the Soviet era, has sought to reconstruct its comprehensive relations with the former Soviet republics. This approach has caused pro-Western movements in some republics that survived the collapse of the Soviet Union to intensify their efforts to integrate into Western arrangements, especially European arrangements, in response to this country's policies.
This trend, in turn, has been accompanied by fundamental developments within these countries, ranging from color revolutions to war and large-scale military intervention. Given Iran's long borders with the Central Asian and South Caucasian republics, as well as its proximity to Russia along the Caspian Sea, the Journal of Central Eurasia Studies has focused on various issues in this domain for the past 18 years.
In this issue, many of the published articles revolve around diverse aspects of the Russian Federation's domestic and foreign policy. In this regard, Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the extensive US and European sanctions against it, and the consequences and implications of this policy, form the content of three articles. Three other articles delve into Russia's economic development policies, its foreign policy approaches, and its information warfare. Within this context, the issue of the Islamic Republic of Iran's "Look East" policy and Russia's position within it has also been addressed.
Internal developments in Central Asian countries and the challenges of their democratization processes have consistently been of interest to sociologists studying transitions and democratization. One article in this issue is dedicated to this topic. Examining the objectives and policies of regional actors such as Turkey in Central Asia and the Caucasus has also been among our areas of focus. This issue features an article on Neo-Ottomanism and the shift in Turkey's geopolitical perspective, concentrating on its foreign policy developments.
 The journal has consistently given attention to articles on research into Afghanistan's internal and foreign policies, conducted by Iranian and Afghan scholars and researchers. Developments before and after the Soviet Red Army's invasion and its withdrawal from the country, transformations during the republican era, and issues like post-Taliban resurgence have been explored in these articles. In this current issue, two articles have been accepted for publication concerning the rights of children involved in war in Afghanistan, as well as Pakistan's foreign policy in Afghanistan and its strategic depth.
It is a striking reality that academic literature in Iran concerning Central Eurasia affairs has not attained an acceptable level of richness and focus. The editorial team of the Journal of Central Eurasia Studies, recognizing the importance and necessity of expanding and deepening scientific awareness and attention to the Central Eurasia region, has striven to fill the research and scholarly gaps regarding the issues of this region. The articulation and pursuit of a policy to expand relations with Eurasian countries under the title of the "Look East" policy has been instrumental in this regard. Iran's geostrategic position and importance underscore the necessity of producing and increasing knowledge about this region.
In this issue, the esteemed members of the Editorial Board have played a decisive role in appointing reviewers and overseeing the scholarly review process of the articles' content. As in previous issues, the reviewers of submitted articles, through their meticulous evaluation, have made significant contributions to the scholarly and research enhancement of this journal and have played an effective role in this regard. Furthermore, the Persian and English editors have effectively contributed to the literary improvement of the articles in this issue. I sincerely express my gratitude to all of them, especially the authors of the articles in this issue. I hope that our colleagues and I can take further strides towards a more precise and in-depth scientific understanding, examination, and analysis of the issues in the Central Eurasian region and its surrounding areas.

Elaheh Koolaee
Editor-in-Chief,
Journal of Central Eurasia Studies