Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — A series of expert meetings and discussions was held in Tashkent to analyse Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s Address to the People of Kazakhstan, titled “Current Challenges Facing Kazakhstan in a New Historical Cycle”, delivered on 28 October 2026. The discussions focused on identifying its key political and socio-economic priorities and exploring prospects for further developing cooperation between Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan.
The meetings took place at the International Institute for Central Asia (IICA) and the University of World Economy and Diplomacy (UWED), bringing together representatives of expert and analytical circles, academics, researchers, political scientists, parliamentarians and diplomats.
The events were organised jointly with the Embassy of Kazakhstan in Uzbekistan. They were also attended by the leadership and experts of the Institute for Strategic and Regional Studies under the President of Uzbekistan (ISRS), who presented assessments of the Address’s main provisions and their significance for further deepening bilateral and regional cooperation.
Participants focused on Kazakhstan’s political and economic modernisation priorities, prospects for implementing the strategic objectives outlined in the Address, and opportunities to align the national development programmes of Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan.
During the discussions, participants noted that President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s Address was an important political event setting Kazakhstan’s strategic priorities for a new stage of development. It reflects a shift from large-scale institutional renewal towards the consistent implementation of practical objectives in economic, technological and social modernisation.
Particular attention was paid to the alignment between the priorities outlined in the Address and the reform agenda being implemented in Uzbekistan under President Shavkat Mirziyoyev.
Participants stressed that both countries are consistently pursuing the development of modern, competitive and technologically advanced economies, large-scale infrastructure renewal, industrial and energy development, stronger transport and logistics links, digitalisation and improvements in human capital.
In this context, they noted that the similarity of the two countries’ strategic approaches creates additional opportunities to align their modernisation agendas, pool investment and technological resources, and establish new regional value chains.
Speaking at the events, First Deputy Director of the ISRS Akramjon Ne'matov highlighted the strategic importance of the Address and its fundamental alignment with the large-scale transformation agenda being pursued in Uzbekistan.
He said Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan faced largely similar challenges: ensuring sustainable economic growth, accelerating industrial and technological modernisation, developing infrastructure and increasing economic productivity.
The priorities outlined by the Kazakh president — energy, transport, industrial cooperation, critical minerals, artificial intelligence and human capital — form an interconnected long-term development agenda and offer broad opportunities for deeper cooperation between Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan.
“For Uzbekistan, what is of particular interest is not only the content of individual initiatives but also the overall logic of the transformation process. Kazakhstan’s strategic priorities largely coincide with those of the Uzbekistan–2030 Strategy.
“This creates favourable conditions for moving from the parallel implementation of national programmes towards their practical alignment,” Ne'matov said.
He identified several promising areas for cooperation, including expanding industrial ties, developing joint transport, logistics and production chains, cooperation in critical minerals, energy and water resources, and combining efforts in artificial intelligence, digital technologies and engineering education.
Particular emphasis was placed on the need to move beyond the development of individual transport routes towards the creation of fully fledged economic corridors, along which new manufacturing facilities, logistics centres, processing enterprises and service infrastructure could be established.
Among the practical proposals was the development of a joint roadmap to align the modernisation programmes of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan through 2030, identifying priority projects of mutual economic interest.
Participants also proposed making greater use of the potential of the Central Asia International Industrial Cooperation Centre to establish sustainable production chains, expand links between enterprises and attract new investment.
The importance of coordinating approaches to water and energy security, localising the processing of critical minerals, and implementing joint technology and education projects was also highlighted.
Participants noted that these areas were consistent with the shared vision of the leaders of both countries, aimed at deepening Central Asia’s economic interconnectedness, expanding industrial cooperation and creating new sources of regional growth.
In this regard, the allied nature of relations between Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan is particularly important, underpinned by a high level of political trust, an extensive legal framework and sustained dialogue at the highest level.
The consistent development of cooperation between the two countries creates favourable conditions not only for implementing bilateral initiatives but also for advancing projects across the wider region.
Participants broadly agreed that aligning the modernisation agendas of Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan could become a key factor in strengthening Central Asia’s economic resilience and enhancing its international competitiveness.
Joint initiatives would help expand the regional market, develop additional production and technological capabilities, attract investment, create new jobs and improve living standards.
The benefits of deeper cooperation between Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan would extend beyond bilateral relations, creating additional opportunities for all Central Asian countries and strengthening the region’s position in global economic and production chains.
The discussions confirmed the mutual interest of expert, analytical and academic communities in Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan in further developing substantive dialogue, exchanging assessments of strategic priorities and preparing practical proposals to strengthen allied relations and promote sustainable development in Central Asia.
