Published by CACI Analyst, the brief by Nargiza Umarova examines Central Asia’s growing importance within emerging Eurasian transport and logistics networks. Against the backdrop of geopolitical disruptions, insecurity in maritime shipping and the restructuring of global supply chains, the author argues that the region has a significant opportunity to transform its landlocked geography from a structural constraint into a strategic advantage.
The brief highlights the rapid development of major east–west and north–south transport initiatives involving Central Asian states, including the CASCA+ corridor, the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (Middle Corridor) and emerging railway connections through Afghanistan. At the same time, it identifies a fundamental weakness in the current regional approach: despite broadly shared interests, Central Asian countries continue to pursue a number of transport projects largely through national strategies and separate partnerships with external actors. According to the author, insufficient coordination risks producing duplicated infrastructure, competing transit routes and unhealthy rivalry for investment and cargo flows.
Particular attention is given to the practical barriers that continue to restrict intra-regional connectivity, including differences in tariff policies and transport legislation, cumbersome customs procedures, insufficient border-crossing capacity, limited digitalisation and the absence of unified documentation and regulatory standards. The brief argues that addressing these constraints collectively would not only reduce transport costs but also strengthen Central Asia’s position in negotiations with major external partners such as China, the European Union, Japan, South Korea and the Gulf states.
The author concludes that Central Asian states require a unified regional strategy for the development and promotion of international transport corridors, supported by a permanent coordinating institution with appropriate legal status. Such an approach could help prevent unnecessary duplication, align national infrastructure priorities and enable Central Asia to participate in the evolving geopolitics of Eurasian connectivity as a more coherent regional actor rather than as a collection of competing transit states.
* 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.
