After the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, the newly independent states of Central Asia – Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan – focused on state building and protecting their own individual national interests. Despite nascent efforts at regional cooperation over the decades, it wasn’t until Shavkat Mirziyoyev assumed leadership in Uzbekistan in 2017 that a notable shift occurred, which pointed not just to serious regional cooperation but movement toward regional integration.
Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, the two most influential states in Central Asia, are setting the foundation for broader regional unity. They are strengthening their domestic governance and deepening bilateral cooperation. Kazakhstan’s multilateral diplomacy and Uzbekistan’s shift toward cooperation through improved ties with neighbors, economic openness, and intensified international partnerships are creating a favorable climate for regional dialogue. Shared views on governance and the future of the region are building mutual trust. Working together, they are a stabilizing force in a geopolitically sensitive region.
This transformation in bilateral relations is facilitating renewed regional momentum. Increased cooperation in trade, water resource management, transport infrastructure, and border demarcation is taking place. Strong, coherent state structures and a shared commitment to regionalism are fostering integration.
Because Central Asia remains vulnerable to external influence and internal fragmentation, the cooperation of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan is the necessary political launchpad for broader regional progress.
Regional integration is necessary to resolve some of Central Asia’s most pressing, and most difficult, challenges from water resource management to borders, to seeking wider prosperity across the region.
Central Asia’s severe water challenges result primarily from the uneven distribution and overuse of transboundary water resources, especially from the Syr Darya and Amu Darya. Upstream countries (Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan) prioritize hydropower generation, while downstream states (Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Turkmenistan) depend on the same rivers for irrigation. This conflicting usage leads to seasonal water shortages, inefficient irrigation, and disputes over allocation. Regional solutions are necessary to address declining agricultural productivity, increased desertification, degradation of ecosystems (notably the Aral Sea crisis), as well as rising tensions among states over these issues.
Regional integration is also necessary to resolve border issues. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, the newly independent Central Asian states inherited poorly defined and inconsistently demarcated borders. They led to overlapping territorial claims, particularly in densely populated and ethnically mixed areas such as the Fergana Valley. Disputes over enclaves, access to resources, and strategic infrastructure have caused frequent tensions, especially between Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. This has led to periodic border clashes, ethnic problems and restricted cross-border movement, strained bilateral relations, and delayed regional cooperation initiatives.
Finally, regional integration is necessary to create prosperity. Economic cooperation among Central Asian states, offers a clear win-win strategy for the entire region. Countries can pool resources, harmonize trade policies, and jointly invest in infrastructure, creating a larger and more efficient regional market. It will not only attract foreign investment but also reduce dependency on external powers and volatile commodity markets.
Critics argue that Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan have long been political and economic rivals and that regional integration won’t work – that they will not be able to sustain cooperation.
Nevertheless, recent developments suggest a strategic shift toward pragmatism and a clear focus on mutual benefit. The Consultative Meetings of the Heads of Central Asian States that began in 2018 and have, with only pandemic exceptions, occurred annually were a significant first step toward not just regional cooperation but integration.
And we have seen tangible results. Central Asia marked a major milestone in March 2025 when Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan concluded a trilateral agreement that officially established the demarcation of their mutual borders, built on bilateral agreements between Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan and Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.
Rather than allowing bilateral competition to hinder progress, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan are increasingly recognizing that cooperation is not a concession, but a strategic advantage. Through political trust and economic dialogue, both countries stand to gain more from partnership than from parallel but disconnected and narrow pursuits of influence. Their collaboration can serve as a catalyst for broader regional integration, setting a precedent that transforms historical rivalries into drivers of collective development.
Next year marks 35 years of independence for the Central Asian countries. A region once divided by historical circumstances, it is now striving for unity through renewed cooperation. Regional integration will enhance mutual trust and institutional capacity. It will enable coordinated economic planning, improved connectivity, and more effective use of shared assets such as water, energy, and transit corridors. It will promote sustainable development, economic resilience, and collective bargaining power. Rather than operating in isolation, all Central Asian states will benefit equitably from enhanced cooperation.