The second week of November 2025 was a high-water mark for Central Asian diplomacy, characterized by the 7th Consultative Meeting of Heads of State in Tashkent. This summit effectively reshaped the regional map, both legally—through the ratification of the trilateral "Border Junction Point"—and geopolitically, by welcoming Azerbaijan as a full-fledged participant in the consultative process. While leaders celebrated a "unified space of cooperation," technical bodies in Ashgabat were locked in difficult negotiations over 2026 water quotas. The week concluded with a stark realization of the fiscal trade-offs ahead, as Kazakhstan’s government signaled aggressive cuts to social spending to stabilize the 2026 budget.
7th Consultative Meeting of Heads of State in Tashkent. Source: President.az
Diplomacy
The defining event of the week was the 7th Consultative Meeting of the Heads of State held in Tashkent on November 16, 2025. President Shavkat Mirziyoyev hosted the leaders of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan, alongside Azerbaijan's Ilham Aliyev (President.az). The summit produced the Tashkent Declaration, which formally integrated Azerbaijan into the regional format to create a "bridge" between Central Asia and the South Caucasus (QNA).
A historic legal breakthrough occurred on the sidelines on November 15, as the Foreign Ministers of Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan signed the final protocol on the crossing point of their state borders. This document legally fixed the exact point where the three borders intersect in the Fergana Valley, a resolution thirty years in the making that is essential for the construction of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan (CKU) railway (Qazinform).
Economic Policy, Trade, and Finance
The economic narrative was one of "fiscal sobering." On November 14, as the summit began, Kazakhstan’s Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov presented a revised 2026-2028 economic forecast to the Mazhilis. He announced a controversial shift in social policy: the government will optimize the budget by reducing social spending from 40% to 38% of the total republican budget (Times of Central Asia). Bektenov stated clearly that state social support will be provided only to citizens "who, for objective reasons, are unable to work and support themselves," signaling a move away from the broad welfare subsidies of previous years (Qazinform). Meanwhile, Uzbekistan’s trade data for the week showed a narrowing gap with its neighbors, as trade turnover reached $72.8 billion for the first 11 months of 2025, with Kazakhstan maintaining its position as a top-three trading partner (Qazinform/UzA).
Climate Change and Environmental Sustainability
Technical water diplomacy took center stage on November 13 at the 91st meeting of the Interstate Commission for Water Coordination (ICWC) in Ashgabat. The five water ministers finalized the withdrawal limits for the 2025-2026 non-growing season (Green Central Asia). Under the new protocol, Uzbekistan will receive the largest share of the Syr Darya (3.3 billion cubic meters) and an equal share of the Amu Darya with Turkmenistan (22 billion cubic meters each). The commission warned that despite these quotas, the region's major reservoirs—including the Nurek and Toktogul—are entering the winter at roughly 90% of their long-term average levels, necessitating strict "sanitary-ecological releases" (Kun.uz).
Digital Transformation and Infrastructure
Digitalization was framed as a security and efficiency tool during the Tashkent Summit. The leaders endorsed a new roadmap for the synchronization and digitalization of customs procedures along the Middle Corridor to slash transit times (Dunyo.info). Domestically, Uzbekistan’s "Digital Energy" initiative saw the deployment of a new monitoring system for the Riverside PV plant in Tashkent, which UN Secretary-General António Guterres visited earlier in the month as a model for the region. The focus has shifted from merely building infrastructure to "digitally managing" its output to prevent the siphoning of resources.
Security and Defense Cooperation
Regional security discussions during the week were dominated by the Concept of Regional Security and Stability, adopted on November 16 (Caspian Post). The leaders agreed to create a unified database for monitoring cyber threats and transnational crime. In Kyrgyzstan, the week was marked by the final pre-election surge; with the November 30 snap elections approaching, the OSCE and other international monitors began the active phase of their mission, noting that the "border junction" deal signed earlier in the week significantly lowered the risk of election-period tensions in the southern Batken region (OSCEPA).
