President Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s address at the 80th session of the UN General Assembly signaled a qualitative shift in Central Asia’s path toward regional consolidation. His statement that the region has “transformed from a space of closed borders and unresolved disputes into a zone of peace, good-neighborliness, and partnership” carries not only symbolic, but also practical significance.
Since 2017, the region has achieved results once deemed unattainable. Over eight years, the volume of mutual trade, investment, and transport flows has increased fivefold. Joint investment funds and cross-border trade zones have been established, industrial cooperation mechanisms developed, and major infrastructure projects launched. For the international community, Central Asia now exemplifies how political will and regional solidarity can reshape an entire geopolitical landscape.
Equally important is the emergence of a new regional identity. For the first time in its modern history, Central Asia is positioning itself not as an object of external strategies, but as an autonomous subject of international relations. This is reflected in the growth of regional agency, the articulation of a common agenda, and the advancement of initiatives generated from within the region itself.
Particular weight in President Mirziyoyev’s address was given to practical proposals: holding an international forum on Central Asian economic development under the auspices of ECOSOC and UNCTAD; establishing a regional hub for green technologies in partnership with UNIDO; developing joint programs on the rational use of water resources and demographic sustainability. These initiatives align seamlessly with the global sustainable development agenda and demonstrate the region’s readiness not only to address its own challenges, but also to contribute to resolving issues of global concern.
Of strategic importance is the proposal to adopt a UN General Assembly resolution supporting the efforts of Central Asian states to deepen regional partnership and economic integration. Such a resolution would consolidate the achievements of recent years at the level of international law and further strengthen the region’s standing as a zone of sustainable peace and development.
In sum, Central Asia is entering an era of implementation. The region has moved from symbolic declarations to tangible outcomes and concrete initiatives, shaping its own model of consolidation while steadily expanding its influence on international processes.
* The Institute for Advanced International Studies (IAIS) does not take institutional positions on any issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the IAIS.
