Leading off… The Central Asia-Japan summit produced a bundle of deals.Uzbekistan announced it agreed on “a portfolio of projects” worth an estimated $12 billion, covering a wide range of fields, including education, healthcare, water resource-management, transport and urban planning.
But the wording of the government statement raised questions about whether the $12 billion figure included agreements signed prior to the summit.Kazakhstan reported “more than 60 deals” worth $3.7 billion.
Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev provided no specifics other than to describe them as “commercial” in nature. “The intensification of trade, economic, and investment ties requires special attention,” Tokayev was quoted as saying in a government statement, adding that “Kazakhstan supplies uranium, rare earth metals, and oil to the Japanese market.” Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Turkmenistan also announced agreements, but did not provide value estimates.
Following the C5+Japan gathering, Central Asian leaders flew to Russia for Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and Commonwealth of Impendent States (CIS) events.There, Tokayev complained that the EAEU, an organization designed to promote free trade, was instead hindering commerce among members, calling on the organization to stop setting up barriers to the free movement of individuals and goods.
Uzbekistan, meanwhile, fended off another Kremlin-orchestrated overture to become a full member of the group, emphasizing that Tashkent wants to expand ties without membership.The occasion also saw Armenia and Azerbaijanexchange pleasantries as they continue efforts to finalize a provisional peace deal agreed to in August in Washington.
In case you missed it in the Caucasus… Pashinyan-care is coming to Armenia after the legislature approved a universal health care system with a three-year phase-in period.
Seniors, minors and families of soldiers killed in action will be among the first to be eligible to receive coverage when the new system launches on January 1.The annual healthcare premium will be set at about $340, a relatively affordable amount, for coverage that includes hospitalization, out-patient treatments, regular checkups, preventive screenings and most medications.
The cost of coverage for those eligible in 2026, as well as those earning a monthly salary of less than $520, will be paid by the government.Those earning more than the monthly income threshold will have to pay a portion of the premium, as determined by a government-determined sliding scale relative to income.
The inaugural session of the US-Azerbaijani working group convened December 20, focusing its work on advancing the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity, which stands to become a key conduit in the Middle Corridor trade network.
The two sides also discussed the Armenian-Azerbaijani peace process, as well as investment opportunities in the IT/AI sector, according to a statement issued by the US Embassy.
Meanwhile, across the Caspian… Kyrgyzstan’s energy minister, Taalaibek Ibraev, met with Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev in Tashkent, where Mirziyoyev announced that in 2026, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan will begin jointly financing the construction of the Kambarata-1 hydropower plant.
In October, Uzbekistan’s energy minister, Zhurabek Mirzamakhmudov, specified in an interview with state television that the project is expected to cost $4.2 billion, adding that the participating countries already had secured $5.6 billion worth of financing pledges.
Kyrgyzstan holds a 34 percent stake in the project, while Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan have 33 percent each.International finance institutions are expected to provide the bulk of the financing for the project.
Uzbekistan seems to have hit a speed bump in its rush to join the World Trade Organization.Tashkent’s chief negotiator in WTO accession talks, Azizbek Urunov, has expressed concern that Uzbekistan is experiencing “unwarranted delays.” Speaking at a WTO general council session, he indicated that Tashkent believed that some countries might be throwing up artificial obstacles to accession, based on “the nature, timing and substance of some of the questions we received within the Working Party cycles.” Some countries have reportedly raised vague questions about market access. “Some protocols regrettably remain unsigned or not formally closed due to issues unrelated to market access,” Urunov added.
Tashkent is aiming to secure WTO membership in early 2026.