Central Asia: A New Geopolitical Epicenter and an Emerging Technological Hub

Author: Alberto Cossu – 03/05/2025

Central Asia: A New Geopolitical Epicenter and an Emerging Technological Hub

Alberto Cossu – Vision & Global Trends

Central Asia, a region stretching from the Caspian Sea to Western China and from Afghanistan to Siberia, is rapidly establishing itself as a crucial crossroads in the global geopolitical landscape and as an emerging technological hub. Covering an area of approximately 4 million km² and home to over 72 million people, the region comprises five countries: Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan. Its strategic location, abundance of natural resources, and dynamic economies are drawing the attention of major global powers, including Russia, China, the United States, the European Union, India, Iran, and Turkey.

A Crucible of History and Culture

Central Asia’s history is steeped in a rich cultural heritage and a geographic position that has made it a meeting point for diverse civilizations. The region was traversed by the Silk Road, an ancient network of trade routes connecting Europe to East Asia, facilitating the exchange of goods, ideas, and cultures. Powerful empires, such as Genghis Khan’s Mongol Empire and Tamerlane’s Timurid Empire, have left an indelible mark on the region, influencing its architecture, art, and culture. The Bibi-Khanym Mosque in Samarkand, with its majestic dome, stands as an emblematic example of the region’s cultural wealth and the synthesis of ethnic, linguistic, and cultural diversity that characterizes Central Asia.

Geopolitical Dynamics and the Interests of Major Powers

The collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 marked a turning point for Central Asia, with its five countries gaining independence and beginning to define their roles in the new world order. Since then, the region has become a battleground for geopolitical competition among major powers, each with its own interests and strategies.

Russia remains a dominant force, viewing Central Asia as part of its sphere of influence and maintaining close political, economic, and military ties with the region. The recent opening of Russian military bases in Kyrgyzstan underscores the strategic importance Russia assigns to this area.

China has rapidly gained influence through its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), an ambitious infrastructure project aiming to connect East Asia to Europe via a network of railways, roads, ports, and pipelines, with Central Asia serving as a key transit corridor. China has become a major trade partner and investor in the region, funding infrastructure projects and strengthening economic ties.

The United States and the European Union are also seeking to bolster their presence, although their influence remains limited compared to Russia and China. The U.S., through the C5+1 initiative, aims to promote regional cooperation and support economic development and political stability. The EU, and particularly Italy, focuses on promoting democracy, human rights, and the rule of law, while also seeking to develop economic and commercial partnerships.

Other regional powers, such as Turkey, India, and Iran, are also active. Turkey leverages its cultural and linguistic ties with Turkic peoples in Central Asia to foster economic and cultural cooperation. India seeks to strengthen trade and security links, partly in relation to its ties with Russia.

Central Asia as an Emerging Technological Hub

Beyond its geopolitical role, Central Asia is emerging as a promising technological hub, with some countries making significant efforts to develop their ICT sector.

Uzbekistan is rapidly transforming from a predominantly agrarian economy into a center for services and high technology. The Uzbek government has implemented policies to promote ICT development, including the creation of tech parks like the IT Park in Tashkent, offering modern infrastructure, tax incentives, and incubation and acceleration programs for startups and tech companies. As a result, Uzbekistan’s ICT sector has seen significant growth in recent years, with an increase in active companies, specialists employed, and rising revenues.

Kazakhstan, the region’s largest economy, is also investing in technological development and economic diversification. While Kazakhstan boasts higher GDP and per capita income, Uzbekistan is demonstrating remarkable dynamism in the tech sector, with high growth rates and a strong focus on innovation.

Opportunities and Challenges for Italy and Europe

The rise of Central Asia as a technological hub and its growing geopolitical importance offer new opportunities for collaboration with Italy and Europe. Rome, in particular, has established the 1+5 agreement to promote political dialogue and scientific, cultural, and economic cooperation. The European Union recognizes the region’s strategic importance and is working to strengthen political, economic, and cultural ties with Central Asian countries.

Italy has developed a strategic partnership with Uzbekistan, based on historical and cultural ties as well as shared economic interests. The presidents of Italy and Uzbekistan have signed a joint declaration to enhance bilateral cooperation in politics, defense, economy, and culture. Italy is interested in developing cooperation with Uzbekistan in energy, infrastructure, agriculture, and tourism, as well as promoting cultural exchange and scientific collaboration.

Scientific cooperation between Uzbekistan and Italy is becoming a cornerstone of their bilateral relations, with concrete initiatives and growing mutual interest. Priority areas include life sciences and biotechnology, energy, water and natural resources, climate change and natural disasters, ICT, applied mathematics and data science, humanities and cultural heritage, and bio and agri-food sectors. Various tools and initiatives support this cooperation, such as joint calls for research and innovation projects, bilateral agreements between scientific and academic institutions, researcher mobility programs, participation in international networks and platforms, Italian research days abroad, and the UNESCO-Uzbekistan Beruniy Prize for research on AI ethics.

Recent visits by leaders such as Ursula von der Leyen and Giorgia Meloni to Uzbekistan highlight the strategic importance Europe and Italy attribute to Central Asia and offer opportunities to further strengthen scientific and technological cooperation.

Challenges and Future Prospects

Despite promising opportunities, Central Asia faces several challenges, including combating terrorism and violent extremism, managing ethnic and religious tensions, reducing poverty and unemployment, promoting democracy and human rights, handling tensions among regional powers, environmental development, and water resource management. Water resources, in particular, are crucial for the region’s economic development and stability.

Nevertheless, Central Asia holds great potential for economic development and growth. The region is rich in natural resources-oil, gas, uranium, gold, and precious metals-and is seeking to diversify its economies by attracting foreign investment and developing sectors such as manufacturing and tourism.

Conclusions

Central Asia finds itself at a crucial juncture in its history. Its strategic geographic position, wealth of natural resources, and dynamic economies make it a region of increasing importance on the global stage. Major world powers are eager to strengthen their presence and influence, creating both opportunities and challenges for Central Asian countries.

For Italy and Europe, Central Asia represents a new frontier for economic, political, and scientific cooperation. The region offers investment, trade, and collaboration opportunities in sectors such as energy, infrastructure, technology, and culture. Scientific cooperation, in particular, has the potential to bring mutual benefits by promoting the exchange of knowledge, skills, and resources, and contributing to technological and economic development on both sides.

To fully seize these opportunities, Italy and Europe must develop coherent, long-term strategies for engagement in the region, taking into account the complex geopolitical dynamics and challenges faced by Central Asian countries. This includes supporting sustainable economic development, promoting democracy and human rights, managing regional tensions, and cooperating to address global challenges such as climate change and energy security.

In short, Central Asia is a dynamic and evolving region that offers new opportunities and challenges for Italy, Europe, and the entire world. With strategic engagement and effective cooperation, it is possible to build a future of prosperity, stability, and shared development for the region and its international partners.

Country	Area (km2)	Population	GDP (billion $)	GDP per capita	Capital city	Religion
Kazakistan	2.724.902	19.547.464	245	12.000	Astana	Muslim (69%), Christian Ortodoxy (17,2%)
Uzbekistan	448.978	36.024.000	92	2.500	Tashkent	Muslim (96%), Christian (2,2%)
Kirghizistan	199.000	6.122.781	12	1.736	Bishkek	Muslim (90%), Christian (7%)
Tagikistan	144.100	9.245.937	12	1.277	Dushanbe	Muslim (98%), Other (2%)
Turkmenistan	488.000	5.690.818	82	13.000	Ashgabat	Musulmana (89%), Cristian Ortodoxy (9%)

Italy’s diplomatic relations with the five Central Asian countries

Kazakhstan

Diplomatic ties with Italy began in 1992 and evolved into a strategic partnership in 2009.
Italy is one of Kazakhstan’s top economic partners, with over 250 Italian companies operating in the country and over $15 billion invested over the past 30 years.
ENI holds significant stakes in the Kashagan (16.81%) and Karachaganak (29.25%) oil fields and recently launched a hybrid 250 MW power project with KazMunayGas (solar, wind, gas).
Italy is also a key military supplier, providing M-346FA aircraft and naval systems.

Uzbekistan

President Mattarella’s 2023 visit to Tashkent marked a milestone in the strategic partnership, with signed economic deals worth around €9 billion.
Cooperation spans energy, metallurgy, agriculture, infrastructure, and tourism.
A local branch of Confindustria is being established in Tashkent.
Bilateral trade grew by 30% in 2023, reaching $379.2 million in the first nine months.

Turkmenistan

Diplomatic relations date back to 1992; Italy opened an embassy in Ashgabat in 2013.
ENI is active in the oil and gas sector, investing over €2 billion, with a workforce that is 95% Turkmen.
Italy supplies military equipment, including AW139 and A-109K helicopters, Falco UAVs, and naval assets.

Tajikistan

Diplomatic relations began in 1992.
In 2021, bilateral talks focused on counterterrorism, drug trafficking, and regional security.
Italian firm Webuild is leading the construction of the Rogun Dam, the region’s largest hydroelectric project, with a $3.9 billion contract.

Kyrgyzstan

Diplomatic ties began in 1992. In 2020, Kyrgyzstan opened an embassy in Rome and a consulate in Benevento.
Italy is exploring investment opportunities in agriculture and hydropower.
In 2023, Foreign Minister Tajani attended the third Italy–Central Asia Ministerial Meeting to enhance cooperation in energy, infrastructure, and higher education.

Regional Initiatives

In May 2024, Italy hosted the third Italy–Central Asia Ministerial Conference in Rome, emphasizing cooperation in energy, environment, infrastructure, and education.
Italy supports the EU Strategy for Central Asia, focusing on connectivity, sustainability, and security.

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