Central Asia and the UK Forge a New Partnership Architecture
On September 14, the inaugural "Central Asia – UK" (C5+UK) Think Tank Forum took place in Tashkent. Hosted by the International Institute for Central Asia (IICA), the event brought together diplomats, leading experts, and representatives from the business and academic communities of the region’s countries, Azerbaijan, and the United Kingdom. The forum served as a practical follow-up to the February foreign ministers' summit in London, shifting the political dialogue into the realm of applied expert analysis.
Today, the packed IICA conference hall resembled a strategic headquarters: the diplomatic corps, researchers from leading think tanks (including co-organizers from the UK’s ODI Global), investors, and representatives from academic institutions were all in the spotlight. The forum’s atmosphere immediately highlighted a key trend: Central Asia is no longer a passive object of foreign policy for external actors. The region is now formulating its own agenda, diversifying its ties, and proposing a dialogue of equals to its global partners.
The tone for the expert discussions was set by a presentation from Javlon Vakhabov, Director of the International Institute for Central Asia (IICA). Analyzing the new format of engagement with the UK, the IICA head emphasized that the C5+UK dialogue is still in its early stages; consequently, it requires a highly measured approach and the establishment of a solid, multi-level foundation—spanning everything from governments and parliaments to think tanks and the business community.
A central theme of the IICA Director’s address was a strategic question: how can growing mutual political interest be transformed into functional institutions, investments, and long-term projects? Javlon Vakhabov structured his answer around four key topics corresponding to the forum's sessions.
The "Middle Corridor": From physical infrastructure to institutional resilience. The first analytical session focused on Eurasian connectivity. The strategic importance of the "Middle Corridor" (TMTM) is no longer in doubt; however, the current challenge for Central Asian nations and Azerbaijan is to transform fragmented national logistics networks into a unified, commercially attractive, and institutionally coordinated economic corridor.
The expert’s key message: simply laying tracks and modernizing ports is not enough. Amidst profound geopolitical shifts and sanctions-related risks, the transport route must be legally secure and attractive to banking finance and the insurance sector. The UK, with its robust legal and financial sectors, could play a decisive role in this regard. At the same time, the region requires a flexible and diversified network where a disruption in one section does not paralyze trade across the entire route.
Critical raw materials in the era of Pax Silica: resource sovereignty versus bloc-based confrontation. The issue of critical mineral resources has resonated particularly strongly. Today, this sector lies at the heart of global technological competition. The American concept of "Pax Silica" and China’s AI initiatives directly link access to rare-earth metals with semiconductor manufacturing and advanced industrial sectors.
It is crucial for Central Asian nations to move beyond the role of mere raw material exporters. The region’s stance is clear: cooperation with the United Kingdom must bring technology, investment, and high environmental, social, and governance (ESG) standards to the area. The region seeks to localize processing, create high-tech jobs, and foster industrial growth, all while avoiding entanglement in insular geopolitical or technological blocs.
Institutional trust. The third analytical focus addressed financial transparency and the predictability of the investment environment. Investors choose not only resources but also institutions and clear rules of the game.
In this context, the Director of MICA highlighted the potential for synergy between the Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC) and the newly established Tashkent International Financial Centre, which operates based on English common law principles. Their close cooperation with the City of London could create a powerful bridge linking Central Asian projects with global capital markets, international legal expertise, and financial instruments.
Human capital: shifting from "brain drain" to a two-way academic bridge. The final segment of the address focused on education and safe labor mobility. British educational franchises are already operating successfully in the region, and the recent launch of Uzbek and Old Uzbek language programs at the University of Oxford demonstrates that exchange in the humanities is becoming a reciprocal process.
The aim of this expert-driven approach is to transform academic mobility into a driver of shared development through joint research, scholar exchanges, and institutional partnerships between universities and think tanks.
The inaugural Central Asia–UK Think Tank Forum—through its specialized sessions, in-depth case studies, and the formulation of recommendations for participating governments—demonstrated that the region’s expert community is ready to provide the analytical foundation for high-level policy decisions.
Bekdurdy Amansaryev, Center for Strategic Studies at the Institute of International Relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan
