Central Asia is a region that finds itself playing an increasingly important logistical, economic, and strategic role in contemporary Eurasian and global affairs. In this environment, Kyrgyzstan charts its foreign policy course with an emphasis on healing long-standing rifts with neighbours and bolstering regional integration—an approach that would facilitate the country’s emergence as a fully-fledged pole in the international system, writes Dr. Esen Usubaliev, Dean of the Faculty of International Relations and Oriental Studies at The Jusup Balasagyn Kyrgyz National University.
Historical Cycles
Central Asia is once again experiencing a period of heightened international interest in the region’s transport, energy, trade, economic, and other opportunities. This interest has evolved into a multitude of “Central Asia Plus” cooperation formats, engaging both Western and non-Western states in implementing concrete initiatives across the region. In this respect, Central Asia’s cycles of development have always been associated with external influence and externally oriented agendas, driven by the idea of “opening the geographically landlocked Central Asia to the world”.
The region’s two previous historical cycles—first, the attainment of independence by the Central Asian states, and later, the military operations conducted by the United States and its allies in Afghanistan—were likewise accompanied by unprecedented activism on the part of external powers and the promotion of ambitious projects aimed at integrating the region into global energy, trade, and economic markets. At that time, however, these initiatives failed to overcome the region’s inherent geographical barriers and other infrastructural constraints. Today, Central Asia’s geographical position remains unchanged, yet the international political environment has undergone profound transformations, both within the region and beyond. The third cycle of external engagement with Central Asia is inseparably linked to the onset of the Conflict in Ukraine, which has de facto evolved into an indirect military confrontation between Russia and the West. Despite the desire of a number of Central Asian states to preserve geopolitical neutrality, it must be acknowledged that the conflict between Russia and the West is directly affecting the dynamics of economic, investment, political, cultural, and humanitarian processes throughout the region, and has become the principal driver of renewed international engagement in Central Asia.
Against the backdrop of the widespread use of sanctions and tariff pressure, the use of military force outside the framework of international law, and the growing polarisation of the global political system, the future trajectory of Central Asia depends directly on the ability of the countries of the “Five” to formulate a common strategic course—a shared vision of the future that takes into account the emergence of new geopolitical realities in the region and the development of a multipolar world order. Under these complex international circumstances, it is only natural that the Central Asian states are seeking to define their own place and role within both the regional and the wider international system.
Kyrgyzstan’s Regional Vision
Over the past five years, the foreign policy of the Kyrgyz Republic—particularly with regard to Central Asia—has undergone significant transformation, ceasing to be reactive and slow to respond to regional and international developments. The country’s increasingly proactive foreign policy has coincided with an internal demand within the region for the normalisation of relations among the Central Asian states and with a shared commitment to strengthening the region’s agency—that is, its capacity to articulate common positions on issues relating to the economy, politics, security, cultural affairs, and humanitarian development, ultimately establishing itself as an independent centre within the system of international relations.
In his address to the General Debate of the 78th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in September 2023, President of the Kyrgyz Republic Sadyr Japarov identified the strengthening of relations with the countries of Central Asia as a natural and overriding foreign policy priority. He described his vision of Central Asia as “a single geo-economic space in which all forms of economic cooperation and interaction are successfully being strengthened”.
He went on to characterise the region as a community of actively cooperating and dynamically developing states united by shared cultural, historical, and traditional values and outlooks.
In this context, it is important to highlight the collective efforts and political will demonstrated by the Central Asian states in resolving longstanding disputes, the most acute of which had for many years been the issue of the disputed sections of the Kyrgyz–Tajik border. The process of border delimitation was finally completed in 2025 with the signing of the Treaty on the Kyrgyz–Tajik State Border. The subsequent agreement between Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan on the tri-junction point of their state borders, together with the Khujand Declaration on Eternal Friendship, should be regarded as a landmark event in the contemporary history of Central Asia. These agreements fundamentally transform the political and psychological atmosphere of the region, creating entirely new conditions for interaction and strengthening mutual trust among the countries.
Not only for Kyrgyzstan, but also for all the countries of the Fergana Valley, the completion of the border settlement process constitutes a foundational factor for the long-term stability of Central Asia as a whole. Without such stability, the implementation of major infrastructure, transport, water, and energy projects would be impossible, let alone the development of new forms of trade and economic cooperation. In particular, the issue of Kyrgyzstan’s transit potential in the context of the China–Kyrgyzstan–Uzbekistan railway project is closely linked to regional security and stability, especially in the Fergana Valley—the principal transport and logistics hub of the wider regional space.
The Valdai Discussion Club was established in 2004. It is named after Lake Valdai, which is located close to Veliky Novgorod, where the Club’s first meeting took place.
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