The events of recent weeks demonstrate Central Asian states’ determination to promote their own infrastructure projects in Afghanistan. Some of these initiatives are being implemented despite continuing tensions on the Afghan-Pakistani border and the conflictual na

Nargiza Umarova, Head of the Center for Strategic Connectivity, took part in an analytical program released by Daryo.uz.

During the discussion, she highlighted Iran’s enduring strategic importance

In her analytical piece, Nargiza Umarova examines how Iran has emerged as a central actor in the ongoing reconfiguration of Eurasian transport routes. Against the backdrop of geopolitical instability, sanctions pressure on Tehran, and disruptions along t

An annual analytical report of the Center for Strategic Connectivity at the Institute for Advanced International Studies (IAIS) provides a comprehensive, policy-oriented assessment of Central Asia’s evolving role as a key transit and connectivity hub linking East a

In this insightful chapter, Nargiza Umarova and Farkhod Tolipov explore the evolving geopolitical role of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the Central Asian region. Published by Springer as part of the edited volume

by Uskanboev Giyosbek & Khidirov Mardonbek

This policy brief examines the “Zangezur Paradox” by asking whether a new transit route linking mainland Azerbaijan with the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic thro

Nargiza Umarova explores how transport integration between Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan has become both a driver of regional connectivity and a source of strategic competition in Eurasian transit politics. It situates bilateral cooperation in the broader tr

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 r

Nargiza Umarova’s policy brief examines how Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan are increasingly positioning themselves as a joint transport and transit hub linking Central Asia with Iran, the Middle East, and Europe. It highlights Turkmenistan’s pivotal geographical role in

In her policy brief “Uzbekistan May Benefit from Herat to Mazar-i-Sharif Railway Project”, published by Jamestown Foundation, Nargiza Umarova analyses the recent agreement between Afghanistan, Iran and Türkiye to jointly build a railway line from Herat t

Afghanistan, Iran and Türkiye have agreed to jointly construction the Herat-Mazar-i-Sharif railway. The agreement was reached on 22 October 2025 at the Regional Assembly of the International Union of Railways in Istanbul. According to

As part of their working trip to Azerbaijan, Khayotjon Ibragimov and Nargiza Umarova took part in an expert discussion on the topic “Azerbaijan – Central Asia: What are the prospects for integration?” with the participation of

This policy brief by Nargiza Umarova argues that renewed U.S. sanctions on Iran’s Chabahar Port and India’s parallel deepening of trade ties with Russia and the EAEU are reshaping Central Asia’s southern connectivity choices. Although Uzbekistan had exp

This policy brief by Nargiza Umarova argues that Azerbaijan is deepening engagement with the Taliban authorities through connectivity, positioning itself as a pivotal node between South Asia and Europe. At the centre is the Lapis Lazuli Corridor—launched in 2018 and revived through new outr

This joint report by Hamza Boltaev and Nargiza Umarova co-authored with Mukhit Assanbayev (Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan) argues that Kazakhstan and Uzbekis

Azerbaijan is strengthening its political and economic ties with the Taliban government by playing an active role in creating and developing promising transport routes to South Asia. At the forefront is the Lapis Lazuli Corridor, launched in 2018 through a joint initiative of Afghanistan, Azerbai

In global politics, the words and actions of major powers are often the first to be scrutinized, which can foster a misleading perception of their outsized role in advancing key decisions and initiatives. Yet this is not always the case. Smaller states, too, are capable of setting the tone on the

A paper by Nargiza Umarova has been published in a collection of materials from the international scientific and practical conference “Geopolitics of Logistics: Transport Corridors of Central Asia in the Global System”, held on April 4, 2025, by the Faculty o

In her recent policy brief for the Caspian Policy Center, Nargiza Umarova highlights how Azerbaijan’s transport diplomacy — particularly its drive to consolidate the East-West and North-South corridors — is transforming the South Caucas

As Nargiza Umarova notes, cooperation between Central Asian countries in the field of transport and transit has become one of the key areas of regional integration since 2018, when the mechanism of Consultative Meetings of the Leaders of the Region was launched. Despite

In her analysis for the Central Asia–Caucasus Institute, Nargiza Umarova warns that the growing number of trans-Afghan transport initiatives risks fragmenting Central Asia rather than integrating it. The recent India–Central Asia Dialogue reaffirmed support f

Uzbekistan has launched a pilot transport corridor to Mongolia via Kyrgyzstan and China. Delivery of goods along the new 4,500-kilometre road route takes eight days. This gives domestic exporters additional access to the relatively unexplored Mongolian market, which is particularly relevant in li

In an interview with Fikrat Shabanov, President of the Consultations on International Policy and Economy analytical center, Nargiza Umarova, Senior Research Fellow at IAIS, touched upon a wide range of topics related to transport geopolitics in

Nargiza Umarova outlines the strategic rationale behind Uzbekistan’s efforts to establish a West-South transport axis as part of its broader ambition to emerge as a key logistics hub in Eurasia. She argues that Uzbekistan’s current participation in Europe-bou

In her contribution to Working Paper of the European Institute of Romania, Nargiza Umarova offers a comprehensive appraisal of Uzbekistan’s burgeoning role as a pivotal transit hub between Central Asia and the European Union. Drawing upon recent geopolitical shifts

At a joint business forum in Kazan (Republic of Tatarstan, Russian Federation), Russia and Afghanistan considered the prospects for developing the Russia-Kazakhstan-Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan and Russia-Caspian Sea-Turkmenistan-Afghanistan multimodal transit corridors.