TRANSFORMATION OF COOPERATION BETWEEN KAZAKHSTAN AND UZBEKISTAN (ON THE EXAMPLE OF MODERN GEOPOLITICAL PROCESSES)

In a global world, the influence of imperialist powers on the development and prospects of states that hold a special place on the Eurasian continent and on the world stage is imminent. The Russian-Ukrainian war and its consequences will undoubtedly leave an indelible socio-economic mark. Considering the consequences of the sanctions of European countries and international organisations against Russia, Kazakhstan faces the choice of building a new foreign policy based on appropriate policy decisions. The methodological aspects of the study of transformational processes of cooperation between neighbouring states represented by Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan in the context of interstate associations are not sufficiently reflected in the scientific literature, especially after the change of power. In this regard, researchers, analysts and other institutions confront the great challenge of scientifically reconsidering the prospects of transformation processes in the context of global changes that have caused a close relationship as a result of Russian sentiments in the region. This research paper is devoted to the problems of transformational processes in the relationship between the two states, which in one way or another have been and will be influenced by contemporary geopolitical reconstructions, especially in foreign policy and the oil and gas sector. The methods of comparative and statistical analysis, as well as comprehensive study of the objective are an integral part of this study. The historical background to post-Soviet relations and the transformation processes of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan are at the core of the study. Despite the agreements on political-economic interactions and gradual cooperation, first on a regional level and later within the SCO, there were problems of regional rivalry between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan after the Organization of Turkic States (OTS). Russian geopolitics provided some impetus to rethink foreign policy and the need for close cooperation between the two states, which prompted new transformational trends. Therefore, the historiographical review and the source base provide an opportunity to reconsider the contemporary aspects of Kazakhstan-Uzbekistan interactions within the framework of contemporary geopolitical processes.