INTEGRATION BARRIERS BETWEEN CENTRAL ASIAN COUNTRIES

Abstract

Abstract. The article is devoted to an analysis of integration barriers
among the countries of Central Asia in the contemporary period (2016–2025).
The relevance of the study is обусловлена by the fact that during the period
under consideration, the region has experienced a notable intensification of
interstate interaction, accompanied by the expansion of consultative formats, joint
initiatives, and infrastructure projects. Despite this, integration remains limited in
scope and has not evolved into stable and binding mechanisms of cooperation.
The aim of the article is to identify the causes of the limited nature of
integration processes in Central Asia through an analysis of political, institutional,
and practical factors. The theoretical and methodological framework of the
study is based on neorealist and institutional approaches, which make it possible
to explain why the states of the region seek to preserve autonomy and avoid
delegating authority to supranational structures. The research employs methods
of retrospective analysis, content analysis of official documents, and case study
methodology focused on the water, border, energy, and transport sectors.
The findings demonstrate that the constraints on integration are systemic in
nature and are reproduced at all levels of regional interaction. In the water sector,
they manifest through asymmetry of interests and weak enforceability of decisions;
in the border sphere, through the prioritization of bilateral settlement; and in
energy and transport, through the predominance of a project-based approach. The
limited nature of integration in Central Asia is the result of a deliberate choice
by the states. It is not merely a matter of insufficient institutional development or
the temporary incompleteness of regional processes, but rather reflects a model
of interaction that corresponds to the fundamental interests of the participants
themselves.

Funding: This article was prepared as part of the financing of the Committee
of Science of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of
Kazakhstan of the scientific project AP26100515 “Risk management strategies
and strengthening Kazakhstan’s foreign policy in the context of geopolitical
challenges and regional instability”.