Central Asia

Today (18 July), Tajikistan and the United Arab Emirates signed an intergovernmental agreement on air transport cooperation, marking a significant development in strengthening ties between Central Asia and the Gulf region.

On Thursday (17 July), Pakistan, Afghanistan and Uzbekistan signed a framework agreement in Kabul to conduct a joint feasibility study for the Naibabad–Kharlachi segment of the Uzbekistan–Afghanistan–Pakistan (UAP) railway corridor.

A delegation from the Council of the European Union’s Working Party on Eastern Europe and Central Asia (COEST) visited Kazakhstan on June 8-10 to hold talks with government officials in Kazakhstan. The visit, which included the cities of Aktau and Astana, was part of the practical implementation of the Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (EPCA) between Kazakhstan and the European Union and its member states. According to the Astana Times quoting the Kazakh Foreign Ministry, the discussions demonstrated a high level of dialogue and mutual commitment aiming to strengthen the Kazakhstan-EU partnership.

The Informal Summit of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS), held on May 20-21, 2025, in Budapest, Hungary, marked a significant milestone in the organisation’s growing geopolitical influence. Hosted by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, the summit brought together leaders from Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Türkiye, and Uzbekistan, alongside observer states Hungary, Turkmenistan, and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. This gathering, the first OTS summit hosted by an observer state, underscored Hungary’s role as a bridge between the Turkic world and Europe, reflecting the theme “Meeting Point of East and West.”

Khalaf Khalafov, the Azerbaijani President's Representative on Special Assignments, has held a number of meetings in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan. As part of the trip, Khalafov met with Murat Nurtleu, Deputy Prime Minister of Kazakhstan & Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Erzhan Kazykhan, Assistant to the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan for External Affairs.

In recent times, Central Asia’s most populous nation has become the centre of attention for great powers, underscored by high level diplomatic contacts with the United States, the hosting of a regional summit with the leadership of the European Union and a high profile visit by hundreds of Russian officials and executives who participated in a trade fair in Tashkent. Western interest centres on Uzbekistan’s abundant reserves of critical minerals and a desire to develop clean energy  sources, including nuclear power. Russia, along with China, has broader trade interests, including developing manufacturing capacity.