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.
* 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.
