Regional cooperation serves national interests. Governments increasingly see cooperation with neighbours as a way to advance their own priorities rather than a constraint. This is why the Avaza agenda converged on joint production, coordinated infrastructure and implementation.

The Caspian is becoming part of the region’s agenda. Central Asia’s access to western markets depends on ports, railways, energy networks and transit procedures across the Caspian. With Azerbaijan at the table, these links can be coordinated within the region rather than negotiated piece by piece.

Flexibility needs clear commitments. Project-based integration suits sovereign states with different priorities, but it must rest on clear responsibilities, agreed deadlines and regular reviews.

Value chains should start where capacity exists. President Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s “Six Economies – One Product” initiative is most viable in agro-processing, textiles, copper-based electrical products and, in the longer term, critical minerals. Uzbekistan alone exported $1.6 billion in textiles in the first half of 2026.

Functional integration, not a formal bloc. As Southeast Asia’s growth triangles show, practical integration can move at different speeds and with different participants. The Central Asia International Centre for Industrial Cooperation and the joint Kambarata-1 project already follow this logic.