Russia has already agreed during Paris Club 2006 talks to write-off 90% of Afghanistan's indebtedness; in 2003, it made commitments for Iraq. The article did not say whether or not this issue was somehow now in doubt.
The Asian Development Bank, instrumental in Central Asia's development projects, has been in existence since 1966, and it lends USD 6-7 billion per year on development throughout Asia. 67 countries are members of the ADB, (Georgia is number 67), and Russia would like to be the 68th.
Russia first showed up at Asian Development Bank activities at the 4th Ministerial Central Asian Regional Economic Cooperation Program (CAREC) conference in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan in November 2005. Afghanistan had also been first invited to that same conference; Afghanistan's application to the ADB has already been accepted.
I perceive, but do not wish to overemphasize, a certain amount of rivalry between Russia's Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) activities and China + Russia's SCO collective security aims, while another understated rivalry between CSTO + SCO vis-a-vis NATO. However, to center upon this so-called “Game” would be a grave disservice to the larger picture of ADB member commitments to Central Asia, and to Russia's relations with other ADB members.
First of all, India and Pakistan have become far more interested and entangled in Central Asian development and business investment. Japan has also a long history of ties within Central Asia, which has been promoted through ADB mechanisms. Malaysia has a “cotton connection” to the cotton-producing states of Central Asia; They, too, are members of the Asian Development Bank.
As for the US, Iraq and Afghanistan remain paramount issues in its ADB diplomacy; both war-torn nations will hopefully benefit in future from debt write-offs when they confront the severe infrastructure development challenges of the future. CAREC is not the US priority, although it would be a great priority to have.
ADB List of Members, Voting Rights, and Economic Shares
ADB Portal Page for Country Studies (Developing Nations)
Japan, Russia, & Sakhalin Island article update–moves to repair relations after the incidents noted above.
Backgrounder on Iraq's debt, Paris Club, and other aspects of debt relief that also apply to Afghanistan