Executive Summary: Azerbaijan’s decision to allow commercial goods intended for Armenia to transit through its territory has been welcomed as the first major outcome following the August 8 meeting between the Armenian and Azerbaijani leaders at the White House. The agreement on transit could not... MORE

Executive Summary: Russia’s influence in the Caspian Sea littoral has declined since 2020 due to Moscow’s war against Ukraine diminishing Russian resources and international standing, regional conflicts and reordering, and the growing navies of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Iran. Türkiye has been instrumental in helping Azerbaijan... MORE

Executive Summary: Growing investments by the People’s Republic of China (PRC) in liquefied natural gas (LNG) and pipeline infrastructure are increasing its geopolitical influence in energy markets. PRC LNG re-exports have increased dramatically from 2022, with re-exports surging nearly 770 percent from 2024. Recent progress... MORE

Executive Summary: On October 6, Uzbekistan signed a 25-year, $100 million-per-year contract with Afghanistan to explore and develop Afghan oil and gas resources, expanding economic cooperation and processing extracted gas in Uzbekistan for mutual benefit. Kabul and Tashkent have strengthened energy ties through major infrastructure... MORE

Executive Summary: Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan have expanded their diplomatic, economic, and security cooperation to the point that some in the region have begun to speak of them as a kind of “bloc” in opposition to those led by Moscow and Tehran. The trend reflects their... MORE

Executive Summary: The October 7 Summit of Heads of State of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) emphasized the organization’s growing role, introducing the OTS+ format to deepen multi-vector foreign policy and advance major initiatives. Leaders discussed enhancing regional security through proposals such as a... MORE

Executive Summary: The People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) influence in Central Asia is growing, and it presents a greater challenge to Russia, the traditional regional hegemon, through multilateral summits such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and the China–Central Asia Summit. PRC–Central Asia cooperation is... MORE

Executive Summary: Uzbekistan’s plans to build infrastructure facilities at the Iranian Chabahar port to gain direct access to the Indian Ocean have not been implemented, indicating Tashkent’s possibly cautious approach to this issue. New Delhi is strengthening its economic ties with Russia and the People’s... MORE

Executive Summary: Uzbekistan is pursuing nuclear power cooperation with both Russia and the People’s Republic of China (PRC), aiming to become a nuclear energy hub in Central Asia. Tashkent is hedging against risks in working with Moscow due to Russia’s weakened economic position amid international... MORE

Executive Summary: Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan used the UN General Assembly to secure major agreements with U.S. companies and U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration, highlighting their efforts to attract investment and strengthen international partnerships, particularly in connectivity and energy. Uzbekistan announced over $100 billion in potential... MORE