Analysis of the role of economic diplomacy in trade and economic cooperation between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan (2014-2024)

Author : Shaimordanova Z, Baisultanova K.Ch, Baisultanova K.Ch, Kazakh Ablai khan

Abstract :Introduction and Objective: The destabilization of political processes and industrial-economic potentials, along with the decline in national, regional, and international security levels, has created a complex geopolitical and economic tension. Five Central Asian countries find themselves surrounded by unstable nations: the proximity of the Afghan border, the flow of Afghan narcotics, the problematic Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR), and other factors contribute to this situation. Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, the two largest economies in the region, possess significant natural resources, reserves of hydrocarbons (oil, gas, coal, rare earth metals), as well as industrial and agricultural potential. Security considerations and economic motives compel these two states to reconsider and restructure their foreign policy in the changing international landscape. The goal of this study is to demonstrate the dynamics of bilateral economic diplomacy between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan from 2014 to 2024, aimed at achieving long-term benefits and ensuring national and regional security, as well as identifying issues within the sphere of economic diplomacy. This research is based on the theories of economic diplomacy and international relations, such as realism, neoliberalism, the regional security complex, and the concept of "Central Asia as a Corridor of Peace and Stability" (T. Aso). It also draws on empirical materials from Kazakh, Uzbek, and foreign authors. These include works on economic diplomacy by S. Woolcock and N. Bayne, M. Okano Heijmans, as well as monographs by M. Laruelle, M. Laumulin, F. Starr, M. Levystone, T. Dadabaev, and journal articles by scholars such as N. Kassenova, E. Gallo, A. Cohen, M. Tleuberdi, and B. Ergashov. The use of statistical data (Kazakhstan Development Bank, State Statistics Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan, IMF) revealed a positive trend in the economic diplomacy of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, which has evolved from diplomacy serving the economy to diplomacy that has placed the economy in service of broader national objectives.

Keywords :Kazakhstan-Uzbekistan relations, economic diplomacy, Central Asia, regional security, foreign policy

Conference Name :International Conference on Strategic Studies and Security (ICOSSS -24)

Conference Place Prague, Czech Republic

Conference Date 14th Nov 2024