Theme: Central Asia

Construction of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway is advancing on 28 of the 29 planned tunnels and 47 of the 50 bridges along the roughly 305-kilometer Kyrgyz section, according to Kyrgyz Railways, a partner in the project, in a report by OilPrice drawn from Eurasianet. About 22% of total construction work is expected to be completed by the end of 2026, with tunnel excavation at 21.5%, earthworks at 67% and bridge foundations at 95%, according to the project's deputy director general; operations are officially scheduled for 2031. Once complete, the roughly 530-kilometer line will give China a shorter, faster and cheaper rail route into Central Asia and onward markets. Kyrgyzstan announced the start of construction of a new cargo airport at Manas, through which the railway will pass, envisioned as a key cog in an air, rail and road freight network.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in Ashgabat on Monday to meet with high-ranking officials of Turkmenistan, according to Mehr News.

Turkey is hosting a summit of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) in Ankara on Thursday and Friday under the theme “Turkic Century: Unity in Language, Thought and Deed,” with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as host, according to TRT World. The heads of state are expected to adopt the Ankara Declaration along with decisions and documents aimed at deepening cooperation and strengthening the bloc's institutional framework.

Iran’s first vice president said trade with Tajikistan is up 50% since the start of the conflict with the United States, but Tajik figures show a rise of about 15%, to $254 million in the first half of 2026, according to OilPrice. Iran’s transport minister pitched Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan on a north-south route centred on Chabahar to India, winning a Kazakh commitment to work on a transport agreement.

Uzbekistan announced investment deals across a variety of economic sectors potentially worth $12 billion during the Samarkand events. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio took part in a business forum in the Uzbek city on October 19 and, the same day, met with the foreign ministers of all five Central Asian states in the C5+1 format, OilPrice reported.

In Samarkand, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington wants to be “a strong partner” in Central Asia, leading a delegation of almost 300 American businesses, and the State Department announced more than 50 contracts with Uzbekistan worth a combined $12 billion, according to AFP. The deals cover technology, industrial modernization, transport and energy. Tajikistan and the United States discussed regional security and stability in Central Asia, according to Tajik state media.

Chinese Premier Li Qiang called for deeper cooperation with Uzbekistan in areas such as minerals and artificial intelligence, as Beijing vies with Washington for influence in Central Asia, according to the South China Morning Post. Li told Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev on Saturday that Beijing was ready to strengthen strategic communication and expand mutually beneficial cooperation with Uzbekistan.

Iran’s Drug Control Headquarters put forward six proposals to strengthen cooperation among Shanghai Cooperation Organization member states in combating illicit drugs and related crimes, according to the Tehran Times. The proposals include strengthening the regional early warning system on synthetic drugs and new psychoactive substances and cooperation in countering chemical precursors used in the illicit manufacturing of narcotic drugs.

Railway officials from Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Turkey, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan signed on October 11, in Tashkent, a protocol to enhance the cost competitiveness of the CASCA+ corridor, according to Eurasianet, in a text republished by OilPrice. The protocol also calls on the participating states to simplify tariff regimes and improve customs clearance procedures.

Construction of the TRIPP corridor has yet to start, leaving the broader Middle Corridor project incomplete, according to Eurasianet, in a text published by OilPrice. The approximately 40-kilometer route would be the shortest segment of the Middle Corridor and, according to the text, would offer Armenia and Azerbaijan an opportunity to strengthen their integration into the corridor, which connects Central Asia with Europe via the Caspian Sea, the South Caucasus and Turkey.

Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian proposed a new “Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) + Iran” format in his first appearance as a special guest at the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) summit in Turkmenistan, pitching Iran as Central Asia's natural route to open waters. Pezeshkian said Iran's southern ports, notably Chabahar, could link the region to South Asia, Africa and Europe. According to Mehr News Agency, Pezeshkian said regional diplomacy should not be limited merely to holding meetings and must serve as a genuine tool for crisis management, dialogue, preventing escalation and practical cooperation.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian met with his Turkmen counterpart Serdar Berdimuhamedov on the sidelines of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) summit, according to Mehr News. The two sides discussed ways to develop political, economic and trade ties and stressed the need to accelerate agreed projects. They also discussed regional cooperation and Caspian Sea-related issues, emphasizing stronger cooperation among Caspian littoral states and protection of the sea's environment.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said talks with the country can only succeed without pressure and threats, according to The Hindu. He made the remarks at a summit of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) in Turkmenistan, according to Al-Monitor. Pezeshkian said negotiation conducted in the shadow of force is imposition and coercion.

Countries in Central Asia began buying oil from Iran as the Russian fuel supplies they long depended on ran dry amid Ukraine’s mounting attacks on Russian energy infrastructure, according to Al Jazeera. Tajikistan expects to receive 2.55 million tonnes of oil and petroleum products from Iran.

Russian President Vladimir Putin will make a working visit to Turkmenistan on October 8-9 for the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) summit, Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov said. On October 9, Putin holds a bilateral meeting with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, RIA Novosti reported. The agenda includes bilateral cooperation and the crisis situation in the Middle East, Ushakov said. Lavrov arrived in Turkmenistan for the CIS Ministerial Council, according to TASS.

Participants in the Moscow Format called on Kabul and Islamabad to refrain from military action, according to TASS, and said they were ready to help find political and diplomatic solutions. The October 5 meeting is expected to bring together Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi and Pakistan's special representative for Afghanistan, with Russia ready to mediate, according to Ariana News.

Russian President Vladimir Putin will travel to Turkmenistan next week for a summit of leaders of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). The meeting of the CIS Council of Heads of State will take place on October 9, with Turkmenistan holding the 2026 rotating presidency, according to Sputnik.

The secretary general of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), Taalatbek Masadykov, said that the military-political situation in the organization’s area of responsibility is increasingly deteriorating and that conflict potential is rising in its border regions, according to TASS.

A live-fire exercise against a maritime target was conducted at the Caspian Flotilla during the Center-2026 drills, the Russian Defense Ministry said. According to the drills' scenario, a simulated enemy attempted to seize a section of the coastline and launch an offensive.

Afghanistan's Defence Ministry said it had killed 41 fighters and captured 62 in Kamdesh district, in the northeastern province of Nuristan, between Sunday and Tuesday. In a statement issued late on Tuesday night, the ministry said the fighters included members of the Islamic State group and had crossed into Afghanistan “with the support” of Pakistan, according to the Associated Press, in a report published by Arab News.

Kazakhstan’s Interior Ministry said five officials in the Defense Ministry system have been detained in the investigation into the deaths of 14 servicemen during exercises on the Caspian Sea on September 24, 2026, Trend.az reports. Those detained are the chief of staff and first deputy commander of Kazakhstan’s Navy, two military unit commanders, the commander of a marine infantry company and the commander of the Qaisar boat, all taken to a temporary detention facility in Aktau on suspicion of negligence in service and violation of navigation rules. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev declared September 25, 2026 a national day of mourning, according to Trend.az.

All 14 Kazakh servicemen killed during a naval exercise in the Mangystau region, in the Caspian Sea, were recovered after the rescue operation was completed, Kazakhstan’s Defense Ministry said, according to TASS. In total, 17 servicemen were swept out to sea on September 24 amid severe weather and gusty winds, and 3 were rescued, according to TASS.