Awaza: The logic behind President Tokayev’s pragmatic agenda

The issues discussed in Awaza are difficult to consider in isolation: trade depends on transport infrastructure, industrial cooperation on technological partnership, and the prospects of trans-Caspian shipping on the state of the Caspian itself. Qazinform’s analysis looks at what Kazakhstan proposed and the logic that ties its initiatives together.

From neighbors to shared economic interests

On October 8, the 8th Consultative Meeting of the Heads of State of Central Asia took place. President Tokayev outlined both the achievements of regional cooperation and its limitations. Last year, intraregional trade reached about $13 billion, roughly 8% of the countries’ total trade turnover.

Kazakhstan proposed raising this figure to $20 billion. President Tokayev linked the trade target to the development of cross-border trade and logistics hubs and industrial cooperation centers. This marks a shift from individual cross-border projects to an interconnected economic system, one that requires removing barriers, expanding industrial cooperation, and coordinating the work of transport and logistics hubs.

That is why Kazakhstan places particular importance on developing the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, whose growing demand is clearly reflected in the dynamics of recent years. The North-South route, developed in cooperation with Russia, and integration with the TRIPP initiative also remain highly relevant for Kazakhstan.

Kazakhstan views its various transport corridors as parts of a broader, more extensive network of connections. Infrastructure development within the country gains regional significance when it gives neighboring economies access to additional routes and outlets to foreign markets.

At the Consultative Meeting, water issues were identified as one of the main challenges to stability in Central Asia. The Head of State proposed developing new approaches to trans-boundary resource management based on mutual respect, equality, and consideration of the interests of all states. Tokayev named the Central Asian Framework Convention on Water Use as a starting point. He also proposed jointly promoting the initiative to establish an International Water Organization under the auspices of the UN, giving it, among other things, a Central Asian character.

According to Oriental studies scholar Zhanat Momynkulov, the countries of the region are moving from the logic of dividing water toward a more modern model of jointly managing risks and benefits.

“This requires a constant exchange of hydrological data, coordinated reservoir operating regimes, transparent distribution of costs and compensation, and closer links between water, energy, and agricultural policy,” he said.

Technology occupied a prominent place among Kazakhstan’s proposals. At the Consultative Meeting, President Tokayev called for preparing a Central Asian Partnership Program on Artificial Intelligence, which would allow research centers, universities, and technology companies to share experience and information.

Particular emphasis was placed on security. As the risks of using neural networks become a subject of international debate, he proposed drafting a Declaration on the Responsible Use of AI by the countries of Central Asia and Azerbaijan.

Technological cooperation was thus presented in two dimensions: building capabilities and aligning approaches to security.

Amid global turbulence, humanitarian initiatives take on particular importance. These include creating a regional TV channel based on the international Silk Way channel, part of the President’s TV and Radio Complex of Kazakhstan, as well as holding a Youth Forum on Volunteering.

As noted by Alisher Bazarbayev, Deputy Director of the Center for World Economy Studies at the Institute of Economic Research, the states have, for the first time, gained a long-term vision of regional cooperation across all areas.

“Kazakhstan’s role in strengthening regional consolidation appears quite significant. Kazakhstan not only supports the development of regional dialogue but also initiates concrete mechanisms and long-term approaches to partnership. Importantly, Kazakhstan’s initiatives are supported and developed through the joint work of all Central Asian states, which creates conditions for further strengthening the region’s agency,” the expert said.

CIS: From historical community to projects of the future

At the meeting of the Council of CIS Heads of State on October 9, Kazakhstan’s position combined historical and economic emphases. In the year of the Commonwealth’s 35th anniversary, President Tokayev recalled the role of the 1991 Almaty Declaration and stressed the importance of direct, trust-based dialogue amid shifting international relations.

The President proposed forming a Portfolio of Flagship Industrial and Technological Projects of the CIS for 2027–2030, with special attention to high value-added production. This initiative continues the economic logic outlined at the Central Asian platform: Kazakhstan proposes strengthening cooperation through joint production. What differs is the scale and the tools. For neighboring states, the focus is on cross-border centers and regional value chains, while for the CIS it is on a portfolio of large industrial and technological projects.

In the field of artificial intelligence, President Tokayev proposed establishing an exchange of experience and best practices on strategies, legislation, and state support, involving research centers, universities, companies, and startups.

Another proposal was to hold the first “CIS Plus” summit. Following the meeting, documents on the activities of the CIS and further cooperation among its members were signed. In particular, 2028 was declared the Year of Social Development and Quality of Life, and 2029 the Year of Transport Connectivity of the CIS.

According to Zhanat Momynkulov, the CIS summit retains functional importance in trade, labor mobility, technical standards, and security.

“The region is simultaneously developing its own consultative format, relations with Azerbaijan, the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, and dialogues with China, the EU, the U.S., Russia, Japan, Korea, and the Gulf states. Central Asia’s agency is strengthened by bringing external partners into the regional agenda,” the expert said.

Caspian Sea: An environmental agenda with economic significance

The third platform of the Head of State’s working visit was the Caspian Environmental Summit. For Kazakhstan, the discussion of the sea’s condition continues its previously stated environmental agenda.

In April 2026, at the Regional Environmental Summit in Astana, the President announced that Kazakhstan had initiated an interstate program to prevent further degradation of the Caspian Sea and established the Caspian Sea Research Institute to advance regional scientific cooperation.

Preserving the Caspian Sea’s natural balance means preserving a transport artery that connects Central Asia with the Caucasus, the Middle East, and Europe. That is precisely why environmental issues are now regarded as a strategic element of regional policy.

“Today, the state of the sea is no longer just an environmental issue. Its declining level has consequences for biodiversity, fisheries, coastal infrastructure, ports, and transport routes, in particular the development of the Trans-Caspian transport corridor,” Alisher Bazarbayev commented.

Kazakhstan’s initiatives on preserving the Caspian Sea were presented as a comprehensive, systemic program combining scientific research, modern technology, and international coordination. Tokayev called for joining international efforts to preserve the Caspian Sea and forming a consolidated pool of the most promising projects.

President Tokayev’s initiatives in Awaza highlight the overall logic of Kazakhstan’s engagement. On the Central Asian platform, Kazakhstan proposed strengthening the region’s internal economic ties. Within the CIS, it called for moving toward large joint industrial projects. The Caspian agenda concerns the natural conditions on which both environmental quality and the prospects for transport connectivity depend.

Astana proposed viewing the economy, transport, water, technology, and humanitarian ties as complementary areas of cooperation. The next stage is to translate this agenda into agreed plans, concrete projects, and actionable commitments.

This approach underscores that sustainable development in Central Asia is impossible without coordinated action, while President Tokayev’s formula, “A successful Central Asia means a successful Kazakhstan,” reflects a pragmatic understanding of the national interest, in which the country’s security and prosperity depend directly on the stability and well-being of its neighbors.

As economist Alisher Bazarbayev notes, the events in Turkmenistan, namely the Consultative Meeting of Central Asian leaders, the CIS summit, and the Caspian Environmental Summit, show how regional trust, broad Eurasian partnership, and care for a shared ecosystem come together in a single pragmatic course.

“Each of these three platforms addresses its own task, but together they work toward the overall resilience and economic connectivity of our space,” Bazarbayev said.

The outcomes of these talks confirm that Central Asia is steadily strengthening its position and entering a new stage of development as a cohesive, authoritative, and independent center of international politics.

Earlier, Qazinform reported that the Kazakh President called on to join international efforts to preserve the Caspian Sea and build a consolidated pool of the most promising projects.