Central Asia emerges as key driver in ECO agenda ahead of Khankendi summit

Central Asia’s growing influence in regional development will take centre stage at the 17th Summit of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO), set to be held in Khankendi, Azerbaijan, on 3–4 July .

The summit will spotlight practical cooperation in transport and energy connectivity, alongside broader ambitions for a climate-resilient and integrated economic future.

Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, the region’s largest economies, continue to anchor ECO’s efforts in trade, energy, and industrial development. According to ECO Secretary General Asad Majeed Khan, top priorities include building integrated transport infrastructure—spanning road, rail, air, and maritime—and advancing digital border procedures to ease cross-border trade.

Kazakhstan, holding the ECO chairmanship in 2025, is leading efforts to digitize export administration, including electronic certification systems for agricultural products. It has also spearheaded the creation of the Central Asia International Center for Industrial Cooperation, a joint platform with Uzbekistan for regional assembly and logistics operations.

Uzbekistan is advancing a regional food security initiative under ECO, aiming to stabilize prices and supply chains by coordinating agricultural output and establishing joint grain and fruit-vegetable clusters.

Transport corridors remain a key focus. The organization is prioritizing the expansion of the Trans-Asian Railway and the Islamabad–Tehran–Istanbul route, while placing strategic emphasis on the Middle Corridor, which connects Central Asia to Europe via the Caspian Sea and Azerbaijan.

Key infrastructure projects include logistics hubs in Aktobe, Aktau, and Turkestan, and joint logistics parks on the Kazakhstan–Uzbekistan border linked to Azerbaijan’s Port of Alat.

In energy, ECO is implementing a regional electricity market programme launched in 2024 with United Nations support, aimed at integrating Central Asian countries with energy markets in South Asia and Iran.

Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Azerbaijan are also advancing the Green Energy Corridor, a landmark initiative to export renewable electricity to Europe. Plans include building a subsea cable across the Caspian Sea, a step seen as crucial for linking Central Asia to global green energy value chains.

The summit’s host, Azerbaijan, is increasingly central to ECO’s environmental and logistical agendas. With all major East–West trade routes passing through its territory, and its role as COP29 president, Azerbaijan is helping to drive regional efforts on climate resilience and sustainability. A proposed climate resilience centre in Baku is among the initiatives under discussion.

The Khankendi summit marks a pivotal moment for ECO as it evolves into a more action-oriented platform. Central Asia’s expanding role and Azerbaijan’s strategic position are shaping a new era of regional cooperation with global economic significance.

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