Pakistan and Central Asian Republics: Cooperation and Opportunities -Trade and Energy corridors

Abstract

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, natural resource-rich Central Asia, located in the heart of Asia, became an arena of struggle for sphere of influence between global and regional players, the competition between which continues and affects the security situation in Central Asia. The purpose of this report is to identify the main problems and prospects of cooperation between Pakistan and Central Asia, including in the context of the current dynamics of the situation in Afghanistan. The following methods were used in the research of this topic: systemic, historical, comparative, and interdisciplinary approaches. The report examines the Pakistani factor and its peculiarities in Central Asia. An attempt was made to assess the Pakistani factor in Central Asia, the drivers of its policy and its changing role in recent years. The advantages and disadvantages of Pakistan in building its policy toward the countries of the Central Asian region are analyzed. Particular attention is paid to energy and transport-logistics cooperation between Islamabad and Central Asian countries.