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. Read more on the National Business Kazakhstan * 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.

The interview published by News.Az brings together expert views from Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Azerbaijan on how Baku’s deepening engagement with Central Asia is reshaping the region’s geopolitical and geo-economic architecture. Commentators agree that Azerbaijan’s participation in the Central Asian leaders’ format and broader regional initiatives is not a sudden shift, but the logical outcome of an evolving, more open and sovereignty-based model of cooperation in the region. As Professor Azamat Seitov notes, this emerging architecture is not directed against any third party; it is built on principles of trust, mutual support, transparency and respect for sovereignty, reflecting the oft-cited vision of “building bridges, not walls.” In his view, the main risks stem less from Azerbaijan’s role itself and more from possible misperceptions by external powers, which might wrongly interpret the new configuration as a redistribution of influence. Experts underline how Azerbaijan’s involvement reinforces connectivity and energy interdependence across Eurasia. Khayotjon Ibragimov stresses that for Tashkent, Azerbaijan is a strategic ally in shaping a unified economic and energy space from the Caspian to Central Asia, with joint projects in hydrocarbons, renewables, grid synchronization and energy transport. Taken together, the interview portrays a Central Asia that is less an object of great-power rivalry and increasingly a self-confident regional actor, using its partnership with Azerbaijan to promote balanced, pragmatic and mutually beneficial cooperation with all major players. Read more on News.Az * 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.

An interview with Prof. Azamat Seitov shows that in Uzbekistan, the decision to invite Azerbaijan as a full participant in the Consultative Meeting of the Heads of State of Central Asia is perceived as a logical and constructive step that fits organically into the new architecture of regional cooperation. The expert emphasizes that Azerbaijan is not seen as an external player: its common historical and cultural foundations and long-standing proximity make it a natural part of the emerging Eurasian space. Baku's participation strengthens the region’s potential in the fields of transport, energy, and logistics, turning it into a key link in the Trans-Caspian corridor and central routes, and also gives the Consultative Format an additional level of trust, subjectivity, and effectiveness of collective decisions. The interview pays particular attention to how the personal trust and fraternal relations between Presidents Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Ilham Aliyev are influencing the formation of a new architecture of interaction in Central Asia. Against this backdrop, Azerbaijan’s participation is seen as a factor that strengthens economic connectivity – from the coordination of tariff policy and the digitisation of transit procedures to the development of port infrastructure and industrial cooperation. At the same time, according to Seytov, new horizons are opening up in the humanitarian sphere: academic exchanges, joint research centers, cultural festivals, and projects to preserve common historical and cultural heritage strengthen trust between societies and support long-term rapprochement. The expert also emphasizes that Azerbaijan’s presence in an advisory capacity strengthens regional stability and security, complementing the emerging model of a “New Central Asia” based on trust, dialogue, and the absence of political barriers. The joint voice of the region and Baku is becoming more influential in international forums, from the UN to the Organization of Turkic States, which allows for more effective promotion of joint initiatives in the fields of security, ecology, water diplomacy, the digital economy, and humanitarian cooperation. In this context, Azerbaijan’s participation is seen as an important resource for strengthening Uzbekistan’s multi-vector policy and consolidating Central Asia as an area of peace, trust, and long-term prosperity. Read more on the Caspian newspaper * 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.

In his comments to the Azerbaijani news agency Trend, Khayotjon Ibragimov, head of the Center for Energy Diplomacy and Geopolitics, emphasized that the Central Asia-Azerbaijan green energy corridor project is one of Uzbekistan’s strategic priorities. According to him, new participants can be expected to officially join this initiative in the near future, as a number of countries are showing growing interest amid increasing demand for electricity. Preliminary calculations, as noted by the expert, confirm the high potential of the project in the context of rapid growth in renewable energy generation in Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan and sustained demand for green electricity in Europe. The strategic partnership agreement between Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan on the production and transmission of green energy, signed in Baku in November 2024 as part of COP29, was an important milestone in the integration of energy systems and the formation of a new architecture for clean energy exports to the EU. Ibrahimov separately noted that Azerbaijan has the potential to become a key partner for Uzbekistan in the export of both traditional energy resources and renewable energy to international markets. He stressed that one of the most promising areas of bilateral cooperation is the deepening of cooperation in the field of oil and gas transportation and the development of export routes, where Azerbaijan, with its advantageous geographical location and developed infrastructure, plays the role of a strategic transit hub, providing access to the European Union market, among others. At the same time, cooperation in the field of renewable energy sources is becoming an important component of the partnership between Baku and Tashkent: both countries are actively investing in solar, wind, and hydro energy, which opens up opportunities for joint projects, exchange of technologies and experience, and, in the long term, for the development of hydrogen energy. The expert also pointed out that the Green Energy Corridor and broader energy cooperation are not only tools for diversifying export routes, but also drivers for modernizing the region's energy infrastructure. This involves joint efforts to upgrade power plants, transmission and distribution networks, introduce digital solutions for energy system management, and possibly create joint investment funds to finance large-scale projects in the field of renewable energy and infrastructure, including the development of submarine cables and strengthening the role of the Middle Corridor. According to Ibragimov, Azerbaijan’s participation in the Consultative Meeting of the Heads of State of Central Asia and its active role in the regional energy agenda are creating a new format for cooperation, in which the countries of Central Asia are becoming more closely integrated with the South Caucasus. This not only enhances the energy security and sovereignty of Uzbekistan and the region as a whole, but also strengthens their position in the global economic system. Read on «Trend.az» * 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.

In an interview with the Azerbaijani news agency AZERTAC, Khayotjon Ibragimov, Head of the Center for Energy Diplomacy and Geopolitics, underscored Azerbaijan’s growing role as a key integrator of transport and energy flows between East and West. He highlighted that large-scale projects at the Alat International Sea Trade Port and the development of multimodal logistics centres are not only maximising the country’s favourable geostrategic location, but are also contributing to the emergence of a new transport and energy architecture in Eurasia. According to Ibrahimov, Azerbaijan is no longer just a transit country, but a strategic actor reshaping the region’s logistics and energy map.   An expert noted that a qualitatively new stage has been reached in Azerbaijani–Uzbek relations, with cooperation extending beyond transit to include the energy sector, joint green energy projects and the synchronisation of energy systems. Within the framework of the Middle Corridor, the complex infrastructure being developed allows for the optimisation of both cargo and energy flows, creating a unique synergy between Uzbekistan, the largest economy in Central Asia, and Azerbaijan, which provides strategic access from the Caspian Sea to Europe. This, he argued, turns the Middle Corridor into a competitive and multipolar logistics and energy system.   He also pointed to joint initiatives in green energy and the creation of logistics–energy hubs as key factors boosting the reliability and attractiveness of the Middle Corridor as an alternative to traditional routes. Growing interest from international investors in transport infrastructure and renewable energy projects in the region supports forecasts that cargo and energy flows could increase by 30–35 percent in the coming years. Ibrahimov concluded that coordinated policies by Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan are helping to shape a new Eurasian transport and energy model, strengthening the role of both countries – and the wider region – in the global economic system.   Read on AZERTAC   * 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.

Nargiza Umarova and Khayotjon Ibragimov gave a joint interview to CBC Azerbaijan, in which they discussed in detail the dynamically developing partnership between Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan. The experts emphasized that relations between the two countries have confidently reached the level of strategic partnership, as evidenced by the intensification of cooperation in a wide range of areas, from transport and logistics to energy and cultural and humanitarian ties.   Commenting on the practical effects of the launch of the Zangezur corridor, Umarova stressed that calculations already made show that the route will reduce the transport distance by more than 300 kilometers, which means a reduction in delivery times and, accordingly, a reduction in financial costs for businesses. Reducing delivery times and transportation costs are key priorities of Uzbekistan’s transport strategy, and in this context, cooperation with Azerbaijan is seen as an important element in realizing the country’s geo-economic interests and strengthening its role in Eurasian connectivity.   In the energy section of the interview, Khayotjon Ibragimov focused on the strategic dimension of cooperation between Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, and Kazakhstan in the field of green energy. He recalled that in 2024, the three countries signed a strategic agreement on the integration of energy systems and the promotion of renewable energy sources, under which a trilateral memorandum was signed on the joint generation of green energy from renewable energy sources in Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, with subsequent transportation through Azerbaijan and export to the European Union. According to Ibragimov, preliminary economic calculations demonstrate the high potential of this “green corridor”, and the growing interest of third countries only confirms the relevance of this direction.   At the end of the interview, IAIS experts drew attention to the fact that economic and energy cooperation is complemented by growing investment and humanitarian ties. Uzbekistan has already invested over $21 million in Azerbaijan’s economy, while Azerbaijani investments in Uzbekistan have exceeded $183 million. About 120 commercial organizations with Uzbek capital participation are successfully operating in Azerbaijan in industry, agriculture, construction, transport, and services. According to experts, all this forms a solid foundation for further rapprochement between the two countries and for transforming the Azerbaijani-Uzbek partnership into one of the key pillars of regional cooperation architecture.   * 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.