Diplomatic World nummer 54

concluded in September 2017 with the countries agreeing
on the delineation of about 80% of their common border.
Central Asian states also need to contribute in a more
coherent and collective manner to maintain stability in
Central Asia, in order to prevent a spill-over from external
security threats, mainly from Afghanistan and project
stability in neighbouring regions.
would contribute to regional economic security, but also
future prosperity, reinforcing at the same time prospects for
stability. The Central Asian states have a crucial interest in
being included in the “One Belt and One Road initiative”
launched by China in 2013, since they are landlocked
countries and would benefit from continental wide transport
networks. To take advantage of these plans, Central Asian
states need to unify their interests and positions.
They also have to contain regional geopolitical rivalries
since they face the same problems like international
terrorism, religious extremism, transnational organized
crime and drug trafficking. They therefore need to bolster
initiatives such as the UN Regional Centre for Preventive
Diplomacy for Central Asia (UNRCCA) created in 2007.
An objective of the Uzbek government and its Central Asian
partners is also to transform its territory into a geopolitical
hub for Eurasian transport, energy and commercial corridors
(map: Uzbekistan — Central Asia: Geopolitical Hub). This
In order to solve the region’s water and energy problems,
Central Asian states also need better cooperation to sign
the conventions on the use of water resources in the Amu
Darya and Syr Darya river basins, and pursue cooperation
regarding the issue of the Aral sea.
What is ultimately needed in the longer term is a “Central
Asian Regional Partnership Treaty”, which is including
the elements and aspects of security, commerce, energy,
environment, scientific research and cultural exchanges to
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