Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — Uzbekistan has proposed expanding cooperation between Central Asia and Russia’s Far East, moving beyond transport links and trade to joint production, technological partnerships and research.
The proposals were presented by Akramjon Ne'matov, First Deputy Director of the Institute for Strategic and Regional Studies under the President of Uzbekistan, at a roundtable titled “Central Asia–Pacific Ocean: Connectivity at a New Level?” held in Vladivostok as part of the first All-Russian scientific and practical conference organised by the Institute of the Far East at Far Eastern Federal University (FEFU).
The discussion brought together representatives of FEFU, St Petersburg State University, the Russian Academy of Sciences’ Institute of China and Contemporary Asia, the Moscow State Institute of International Relations, Kyrgyz National University named after Jusup Balasagyn, and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Secretariat.
Central Asia moves from regional consolidation to economic cooperation
Ne'matov said Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s consistent and open foreign policy, alongside joint efforts by Central Asian leaders, had helped the region move from overcoming past disagreements to coordinating strategic priorities and defining shared development prospects.
Political trust accumulated in recent years has created a solid foundation for deeper economic cooperation, he said.
Central Asian countries are building a space of good-neighbourliness and shared development by linking their infrastructure, industrial and technological capabilities. This approach was reaffirmed at the eighth Consultative Meeting of Central Asian Heads of State, held on 8 October 2026 in Awaza with Azerbaijan’s participation.
Regional cooperation has coincided with stronger economic growth. The combined gross domestic product of the five Central Asian countries has doubled since 2016 and is forecast to exceed US$600 billion by the end of 2026. The region’s population is approaching 100 million, providing a substantial consumer market and workforce. Its industrial base is expanding, economic ties are strengthening and participation in international economic activity is increasing.
Together with abundant natural resources and a favourable geographical position, these factors are reinforcing Central Asia’s role as an independent centre of economic growth and a potential participant in international production and technology chains.
Ne'matov said pragmatic diversification of foreign economic relations was enabling Central Asian countries to deepen ties with different centres of global economic growth. The expanding “Central Asia Plus” formats reflect growing international interest in the region.
East Asian partnerships have gained particular importance. The first Central Asia–China summit was held in June 2025, the first Central Asia–Japan summit in December 2025, and the Central Asia–Republic of Korea summit in September 2026.
Cooperation with East Asian partners now extends beyond traditional trade to include localised manufacturing, deeper processing of raw materials, advanced technologies, energy development and engineering education.
This reflects a change in Central Asia’s economic role: the region is becoming not only a sales market and transit corridor but also a partner in creating new industries and generating added value.
Transport links as a basis for industrial cooperation
Against this backdrop, participants highlighted the potential for closer economic ties between Central Asia and Russia’s Far East.
The objective is not simply to increase cargo flows, but to use transport connectivity to develop joint production, technological cooperation and access to third-country markets. Uzbekistan has a particular role to play in this process.
The development of its industrial and transport infrastructure, together with stronger economic links with neighbouring countries, could support the creation of production and logistics hubs connecting Russia’s Far East with markets in Central Asia, South Asia and the Middle East.
A practical foundation for cooperation is the Russia Far East–Uzbekistan Cooperation Plan for 2025–2030, signed in December 2024. It covers trade and investment, agriculture and food production, education and workforce training, mining and other areas.
Ne'matov outlined five interconnected areas that could translate these prospects into practical projects.
The first is the development of integrated transport and logistics infrastructure. One proposal is to establish interconnected logistics and production hubs in Russia’s Primorsky Krai and Uzbekistan’s Tashkent Region, with Kazakhstan serving as a transit partner.
Regular container services, the use of FESCO’s capabilities, digitalisation of transport operations and integration of information systems, including Uzbekistan’s E-logistika platform, could improve route competitiveness, reduce delivery times and costs, and secure reliable return cargo.
The second area is industrial and scientific-technological cooperation. Opportunities include industrial engineering, equipment servicing, deeper processing of mineral resources and the development of new materials, including those involving critical minerals and rare earth elements.
Research and educational institutions in Russia’s Far East, particularly FEFU, could support joint research, engineering solutions and industrial development in Central Asia.
The approach aligns with President Mirziyoyev’s initiative to establish a Eurasian Belt of Technological Industrialisation, aimed at developing complementary industries, expanding technological cooperation and creating sustainable value chains.
The third area is energy and water and environmental sustainability. Central Asia’s growing need for reliable energy supplies and efficient water use creates opportunities for joint research, hybrid power generation, digital energy management and water-saving technologies.
The fourth is agricultural and food cooperation. Uzbekistan’s initiative to establish a Eurasian Agroexpress could facilitate regular shipments of fruit and vegetables, dried fruit and processed food from Central Asia to Russia’s Far East, with fish and seafood transported in the opposite direction.
Such trade would require modern cold-storage and warehousing facilities, harmonised inspection procedures and predictable transport arrangements.
The fifth area is workforce training and scientific and educational cooperation. Combining FEFU’s capabilities with those of leading Central Asian universities could expand joint education programmes, applied research and training for engineering and technical specialists.
Particular interest centres on Uzbekistan’s “Engineers of the Future” initiative, which aims to develop skills needed by joint industrial ventures and emerging technology sectors.
From proposals to pilot projects
Summing up the discussion, participants said cooperation between Central Asia and Russia’s Far East should be oriented towards concrete economic results. The aim is to move beyond individual trade and transport operations towards a comprehensive partnership spanning logistics, industry, energy, science and education.
For Central Asia, closer ties could provide additional access to Asia-Pacific markets, attract technology and engineering expertise, deepen raw-material processing and strengthen production and logistics capabilities.
For Russia’s Far East, they could expand economic links with Central Asia, generate additional cargo volumes, support joint manufacturing and provide routes to markets in South Asia and the Middle East.
One practical step would be to develop a portfolio of pilot projects under the existing Russia Far East–Uzbekistan Cooperation Plan for 2025–2030, involving relevant government agencies, research centres, transport operators and businesses.
This could help turn the identified opportunities into initiatives based on the complementary strengths of the two regions.
Participants said Central Asia and Russia’s Far East had significant potential to form a new area of Eurasian-Pacific cooperation. Central Asia is increasingly viewed not merely as a peripheral market or transit corridor, but as an independent hub of economic connectivity and a potential link in international value chains.
Realising this potential will require further development of transport routes, integration of production capabilities, expanded technology exchange and durable partnerships. Such a model could benefit both regions, strengthen their positions in the international division of labour and open up additional market opportunities.
On the sidelines of the conference, meetings were also held with participants from Russia, China, Vietnam and other countries. The discussions covered prospects for expanding interregional cooperation, developing expert dialogue and launching joint research initiatives.
The meetings resulted in agreements to expand professional contacts and strengthen cooperation with relevant research and educational institutions.
