In 2024, Astana became the center of a series of key meetings, each of which was considered a significant “first” in regional diplomacy. On August 9, Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev welcomed the current heads of state of the other four Central Asian countries – Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov, Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, Turkmen President Serdar Berdimuhamedov and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev. Following the precedent of the fifth consultative meeting in Dushanbe in September 2023, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and the head of the United Nations Regional Center for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia Kaha Imnadze also attended the meeting in Astana.
The recent consultative meeting resulted in a joint statement by the Central Asian leaders and the signing of a concept for the development of regional cooperation “Central Asia – 2040”, a roadmap for the development of regional cooperation for the period 2025-2027 and an action plan for the development of industrial cooperation between the Central Asian countries for the period 2025-2027.
Contrary to the hopes of the Kazakh leadership, the summit in Astana failed to produce a breakthrough regarding the signing of the Agreement on Friendship, Good Neighbourliness and Cooperation for the Development of Central Asia in the 21st Century by the two remaining states, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan. This reluctance remains, despite significant progress in the Kyrgyz-Tajik border negotiations in 2024; Tajikistan’s abstention in approving the friendship agreement was linked about its border problems with Kyrgyzstan.
Meanwhile, efforts to deepen regional connectivity appear to be yielding positive results. Trade turnover between the Central Asian countries has increased is on the rise since 2018, and has doubled from $5.7 billion to $11 billion in the last six years. The countries in the region are trying to link their transport potential and expand energy infrastructure. This has been manifested in the first meeting of Central Asian energy ministers And the second meeting of Central Asian transport ministers were held on August 6 and 8, respectively, ahead of the sixth consultative summit. These meetings resulted in the conclusion of a joint communiqué on the results of the first meeting of Central Asian energy ministers, a memorandum on the development of transport and logistics centers in Central Asian countries, and the Astana communiqué of the second meeting of Central Asian transport ministers. The last two documents are considered a logical continuation of the agreement on strengthening land transport relations in Central Asia, signed at the Dushanbe summit in 2023.
While broader multilateral engagements tend to grab the headlines, bilateral relations in Central Asia are proving to be the real drivers of progress in the region. Through a network of bilateral treaties, Kazakhstan is not only deepening its relations with neighbouring states but also laying the groundwork for greater regional integration. Alliance relations have been established with Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, while strategic partnerships with Turkmenistan continue to develop.
In this context, the bilateral meeting between the presidents of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan on August 7-8 in Astana, just before the Central Asian leaders’ meeting, is particularly instructive. The cooperation between these two relatively large regional powers is not merely symbolic, but fundamental. Without their joint efforts, the vision of a united Central Asia is unlikely to become a reality.
A milestone in this cooperation is the first meeting of the Supreme Intergovernmental Council between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, which took place in Astana on August 8. This advanced integration mechanism underlines the leadership role of these two countries in promoting regional integration. Their cooperation is reminiscent of the Franco-German partnership, which played a decisive role in the unification of Europe. In Central Asia, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan stand ready to serve as locomotives of a similar regional project.
The rapid pace of interaction between Astana and Tashkent is noteworthy, with 15 meetings between their presidents taking place in the last five years alone. The signing of a treaty on allied relations between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan in December 2022, followed by its ratification in Uzbekistan in 2023 and Kazakhstan in 2024is a testament to their commitment. Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan recognize the cautious attitude of other Central Asian states towards integration and are laying the foundation for regional unity by establishing the Interstate Council and welcoming the adoption of the Strategic Partnership and Alliance. program for 2024-2034.
On the eve of the summit, Tokayev published a Article The article is titled “The Renaissance of Central Asia: Towards Sustainable Development and Prosperity”. The article summarizes the essence of the concept for the development of regional cooperation “Central Asia – 2040” adopted at the summit. It emphasizes the key pillars of regional integration: a unified security and defense space, joint economic initiatives, transport projects, and cooperative approaches to water, energy and food security. The article also highlights a common Central Asian identity – an elusive but crucial element to ensure that this integration process goes beyond political elites and involves the wider society.
In his remarks at the Consultative Summit, Mirziyoyev referred to Tokayev’s article as an in-depth analysis of their joint workHe complemented Tokayev’s proposals by suggesting the adoption of joint concepts in the areas of security and transport. Given the disruption of traditional trade and transport routes caused by the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East and the resulting vulnerability to sanctions, such cooperation is both timely and necessary.
Therefore, the focus is increasingly on the stability and security of transport in and through the region. In April 2024, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan agreed to organize freight transportation along the China-Kazakhstan-Uzbekistan route. During their recent meeting, both presidents took part in a ceremony A container train that traveled almost 4,500 kilometers from the Chinese dry port of Xi’an to Tashkent via Kazakhstan in just five days has reached its destination. This transport route offers new perspectives for other countries in the region.
An important result of these meetings is the establishment of a Council of Foreign Ministers. The task of this body is to ensure mutual support within international and regional structures – a crucial step towards consolidating bilateral and regional cooperation.
Tokayevs Explanation that “a successful Central Asia means a successful Kazakhstan” is an encouraging commitment to deepening regional integration. If this principle is more widely accepted by other Central Asian countries, it could be the key to the long-term success of a united Central Asia.
