BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 24. Central Asian
countries are actively participating in the 81st session of the UN
General Assembly, which is taking place in New York.
Alongside international security, sustainable development and
climate issues, investment, transport connectivity, industrial
cooperation and international financing are becoming increasingly
prominent in statements by regional representatives and meetings
held on the sidelines of the session.
For the five countries, these issues are particularly relevant
as intra-regional trade and investment continue to grow, while
external partners are showing greater interest in Central Asia’s
transport potential, energy sector, industry and critical
minerals.
This economic agenda, however, predates the current session. In
recent years, the countries of the region have increasingly used
international platforms to promote closer economic ties within
Central Asia, presenting the region not only as a group of national
markets, but also as a space for investment, production and
transit.
Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said at the 80th session
of the UN General Assembly in 2025 that international investment
cooperation needed to adapt to a new economic reality. “We are
witnessing growing fragmentation and politicization of investment
flows. As a result, global foreign direct investment fell to $1.5
trillion last year. Kazakhstan strongly advocates expanding
international cooperation in investment,” he said.
According to Tokayev, Kazakhstan has attracted more than $400
billion in investment over 30 years of independence. For Astana,
however, attracting capital is closely linked to transport
infrastructure. “We are investing tens of billions of dollars in
transport and transit infrastructure, including the Belt and Road
Initiative, the North-South Transport Corridor and the
Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor,” the Kazakh President said.
He also said Kazakhstan, located at the center of Eurasia, was
ready to play a key role as a logistics hub handling 80% of
overland transit between Asia and Europe.
For Kazakhstan, transport is therefore not only an
infrastructure issue. The development of corridors is also seen as
a way to connect production, markets and investment flows between
Asia and Europe.
This approach remains relevant in 2026. At the Shanghai
Cooperation Organization summit, Tokayev said: “We consider it
important to move from agreements to concrete initiatives,”
referring to the creation of an SCO trade and investment space, the
establishment of pilot industrial consortia and an SCO Development
Bank. Kazakhstan has offered to host the headquarters of such a
bank.
At the same time, Kazakhstan continues to use international
platforms to develop economic and institutional ties. On the
sidelines of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly, head of
the Kazakh delegation and Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tleuberdi held a
number of bilateral meetings, as well as talks with UNCTAD and
other international organizations. Foreign ministers from the
Central Asian countries also held consultations in New York.
Uzbekistan links investment to regional
integration
Uzbekistan is pursuing a somewhat different but closely related
approach. Speaking at the 80th session of the UN General Assembly
in 2025, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev highlighted the growth of
economic ties within Central Asia.
“In recent years, the volume of mutual trade, investment and
cargo transportation in our region has increased fivefold. We are
implementing joint investment funds, cross-border trade and
industrial cooperation zones, and major infrastructure projects,”
he said.
Regional economic integration has also become one of the
initiatives formally addressed within the UN system. On May 20,
2026, the UN General Assembly adopted by consensus a resolution
titled “Strengthening regional cooperation and economic integration
for sustainable development in the Central Asian region.” The
document has 66 co-sponsors.
This is significant not only as a sign of diplomatic support.
The resolution shows that the idea of closer economic ties among
the five countries has moved from a regional format to a universal
UN platform.
At the same time, Uzbekistan continues to expand its own
investment base. Speaking at the Tashkent International Investment
Forum in 2026, Mirziyoyev said: “Over the years, Uzbekistan has
attracted more than $150 billion in foreign investment, of which
$123 billion has been attracted over the past five years alone. We
have always been open to investors and are ready to build equal and
mutually beneficial partnerships.”
According to him, Uzbekistan’s GDP growth reached 7.7% in 2025,
foreign investment totaled $43 billion, and international reserves
exceeded $70 billion.
The country is also promoting the establishment of the Tashkent
International Financial Center and has proposed creating a regional
investment alliance focused on critical minerals.
Investment is therefore becoming increasingly linked to regional
integration in Tashkent’s economic agenda, particularly through the
creation of new channels for capital.
Tajikistan: climate, water and international
financing
Tajikistan is also contributing to the region’s investment
agenda, although Dushanbe’s focus differs from those of Kazakhstan
and Uzbekistan. The emphasis is on climate vulnerability, water
resources and developing countries’ access to international
financing.
Speaking at the 80th session of the UN General Assembly in 2025,
Tajik President Emomali Rahmon called for international financial
mechanisms to be reconsidered in light of the needs of mountainous
and landlocked developing countries.
“Today, it is time to consider writing off the debts of the most
vulnerable countries,” he said, linking the issue to the need for a
fairer international financial system.
For Dushanbe, the financing issue is directly connected to the
climate agenda. According to Rahmon, Tajikistan’s glaciers and
other water sources provide up to 60% of Central Asia’s water
resources, while more than 1,300 glaciers in the country have
already disappeared.
As a result, investment in water infrastructure and climate
adaptation is viewed in Dushanbe not only as an environmental
priority, but also as part of the region’s long-term economic
resilience.
Tajikistan is promoting this agenda through the Dushanbe Water
Process and initiatives within the UN system.
At the 81st session of the UN General Assembly, Tajikistan is
represented in the general debate by Foreign Minister Sirojiddin
Muhriddin. The country’s priorities include water resources,
climate finance and the use of new technologies for sustainable
development.
Artificial intelligence is another area of focus. In July 2025,
the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution initiated by
Tajikistan on “The role of artificial intelligence in creating new
opportunities for sustainable development in Central Asia.”
Dushanbe has also proposed establishing a regional center for
artificial intelligence.
The Tajik agenda thus broadens the investment dimension of the
regional discussion. Alongside traditional infrastructure, it
includes financing for climate adaptation, water projects and
digital development.
Turkmenistan focuses on transport
connectivity
Turkmenistan places particular emphasis on transport, energy and
market connectivity in its economic agenda.
At the 80th session of the UN General Assembly in 2025,
President Serdar Berdimuhamedov reaffirmed the country’s commitment
to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and proposed
declaring 2026–2035 the UN Decade of Sustainable Transport.
Speaking about the international system, he said: “Today, we are
witnessing a weakening of the role of international institutions,
growing contradictions, conflicts and wars around the world, as
well as a sharp increase in technological and social
inequality.”
For Ashgabat, transport remains one of the main elements of its
economic agenda. At the Consultative Meeting of the Heads of State
of Central Asia in Tashkent in November 2025, Serdar Berdimuhamedov
identified transport, energy, trade, as well as industrial and
technological cooperation as strategic areas for further economic
cooperation among the countries of the region.
This approach remains part of Turkmenistan’s current agenda. The
country’s priorities include developing transport connectivity,
ensuring reliable energy routes and promoting transregional
corridors connecting Central and South Asia with Europe via the
Caspian Sea.
Turkmenistan entered the 81st session with one of the region’s
most detailed programs. At a briefing devoted to the country’s
priorities for the session, Rovshen Annaberdiev, head of the
International Organizations Department at the Turkmen Foreign
Ministry, presented Ashgabat’s comprehensive program of action. He
said Turkmenistan was entering the session with a substantive
agenda based on the principles of permanent neutrality, preventive
diplomacy and strengthening international trust.
According to him, the focus will be on translating political
proposals into practical international cooperation through the
creation of new platforms, mechanisms and partnerships, as well as
the implementation of concrete projects under the auspices of the
UN.
The priorities are grouped into five areas: peace, security and
neutrality; sustainable development and transport; energy, climate
and the environment; humanitarian cooperation; and international
law and participation in UN activities.
The transport component is the one most closely linked to the
investment agenda. The UN Decade of Sustainable Transport
resolution initiated by Turkmenistan is one example of how the
region’s transport agenda is being given institutional form within
the UN system.
New York as a platform for new contacts
The 81st session of the UN General Assembly shows that the
political and economic diplomacy of Central Asian countries are
developing in parallel.
Saida Mirziyoyeva, head of the Presidential Administration and
Uzbekistan’s representative at the general debate, met with UN
Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on September 21.
“We discussed all the key areas that Uzbekistan and the UN are
developing together. At this difficult time for the international
system, I thank Mr. Guterres for his strong global leadership and
support for our country across all key areas of security,” she said
following the meeting.
While investment was not the sole focus of the discussions, the
meeting came as Uzbekistan has stepped up its international
contacts on economic issues.
For Kyrgyzstan, the economic component of its current engagement
in New York has also included specific business contacts.
President Sadyr Japarov held meetings with Wabtec, StoneX Group
and Citibank. In particular, a contract was signed with Wabtec for
the supply of 10 freight locomotives, while memorandums related to
financial cooperation and precious metals were signed with
financial companies.
At the same time, Kyrgyzstan is bringing projects requiring
long-term financing to the international agenda. At the 81st
session, Japarov called on the UN, international financial
institutions and donor countries to establish a special joint trust
fund for the preservation of Lake Issyk-Kul. “Taking this
opportunity, I officially call on the United Nations, international
financial institutions and donor countries to support our
initiative and establish, under the auspices of the Organization, a
special joint trust fund for the preservation of Lake Issyk-Kul,”
he said.
Kyrgyzstan is prepared to contribute $10 million to the fund.
“To confirm our intentions with concrete actions, we are ready to
contribute $10 million from the state budget to this fund,” Japarov
said.
This example highlights another dimension of the region’s
economic diplomacy: the focus is not only on attracting commercial
capital, but also on securing international financing for projects
related to climate, water and sustainable development.
The region as an investment story
At the 2025 consultative meetings of the Central Asian heads of
state, it was noted that intra-regional trade had reached $10.7
billion, while total investment had increased by 17%.
Against this backdrop, the way Central Asia presents itself on
external platforms is also changing.
Several years ago, the investment agenda was largely built
around individual countries: Kazakhstan promoted oil and gas,
mining and transport projects; Uzbekistan focused on industry and
its growing consumer market; Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan emphasized
energy and infrastructure; and Turkmenistan focused on gas and
transport.
The regional dimension is now becoming increasingly important.
Transport corridors connect several countries. Power projects
require regional coordination. Industrial cooperation allows
production to be distributed across markets. Critical minerals
could become the basis for new supply chains. Financial mechanisms
can support projects that extend beyond a single economy.
This is why economic integration has become a separate focus of
a UN General Assembly resolution. At the same time, it would be
premature to describe Central Asia as a fully integrated single
investment market. The five countries continue to have different
economic models and investment priorities.
The regional economic dimension, however, is becoming more
visible. The countries are increasingly seeking to present their
national advantages as part of a broader economic narrative that is
relevant to external investors and international financial
institutions.
Against this backdrop, the 81st session of the UN General
Assembly has become another platform where this agenda is being
shaped simultaneously at the international, regional and bilateral
levels.
For Central Asia, the next challenge is not only to promote
initiatives, but also to translate them into practical outcomes —
securing financing, launching projects and building sustainable
mechanisms for regional cooperation.
