THE IMPACT OF KAZAKH-UZBEK RELATIONS ON CENTRAL ASIAN COOPERATION: EXPERT ASSESSMENT

Abstract

The article discusses the development of relations between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, the impact of Uzbekistan's foreign policy changes on Central Asian cooperation, and assesses the prospects for the development of regional cooperation in Central Asia. The foreign policy initiatives of the President of Uzbekistan Sh. Mirziyoyev were discussed, the prospects for the development of Kazakh-Uzbek relations were analyzed. The opinions of domestic, foreign and Central Asian researchers on Central Asian cooperation and Uzbekistan's foreign policy changes were also analyzed and compared. New approaches to cooperation between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan were discussed, and the impact of new foreign policy initiatives of Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev on Central Asian cooperation was discussed. The author in the article described the level of development of Central Asian cooperation in this period, analyzing the changes in the foreign policy of the President of Uzbekistan Sh. Mirziyoyev since his coming to power and comparing the policies of the First President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov and current President Shavkat Mirziyoyev.  The author believes that the main regional initiatives in Central Asia originate from Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, therefore Kazakh-Uzbek relations are important for the development of the region. In the article, the author expertly assessed the changes that have occurred in the foreign policy of the President of Uzbekistan Sh. Since coming to power, Mirziyoyev compared the policies of the First President of Uzbekistan, Islam Karimov, and current President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, describing the level of development of Central Asian cooperation during this period.  It can be said that the article is of practical importance for researchers of the evolution of Kazakh-Uzbek relations in the future. A comparison of Karimov's and Mirziyoyev's policies revealed the evolution of development and changes in Uzbekistan's foreign policy. The study used the method of comparative analysis and expert interviews. The author believes that the main regional initiatives in Central Asia come from Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, therefore Kazakh-Uzbek relations are important for the development of the region. The study can serve as an example in studying not only Kazakh-Uzbek relations, but also regional relations in the future and the role of regional leaders. The significance of the research results and the applied methods lies in the possibility of using the research results to solve practical problems.