The Kazakh information and analytical outlet National Business Kazakhstan has published an in-depth analytical article on the agreement between the national companies KazMunayGas and Uzbekneftegaz on joint geological exploration and potential hydrocarbon production at the Zharkyn site in the Mangystau region. The publication places the deal within the broader context of transforming energy relations in Central Asia and includes expert commentary from specialists in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.

Within this analysis, Khayotjon Ibragimov, Head of the Center for Energy Diplomacy and Geopolitics at IAIS, provided an expert assessment of the agreement’s significance for Uzbekistan and for the regional energy architecture as a whole. His comments focus on the strategic motivations behind Uzbekistan’s participation in the project, as well as on the country’s evolving role in the regional energy security system.

According to Ibragimov, the agreement is fundamentally important primarily because it marks the first time a Uzbek national company gains access to Kazakhstan’s resource base as an equal partner, rather than as a buyer or a transit participant. He emphasizes that the 50/50 partnership model reflects a new level of mutual trust and demonstrates a shift from political declarations to practical economic cooperation.

In his commentary, Ibragimov also notes that Uzbekistan’s interest in such projects is driven by objective domestic factors, including rising energy demand and the strategic imperative to ensure long-term energy stability. Participation in exploration and potential production abroad is viewed as a tool for diversifying supply sources and strengthening national energy security.

Furthermore, Ibragimov highlights that the deal fits into a broader regional trend in which Central Asian countries are gradually moving away from fragmented energy policies toward more coordinated forms of cooperation. In this context, energy is becoming the foundation of strategic partnership, rather than merely a sphere of commercial transactions.

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* 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.