On 14 September 2026, the International Institute of Central Asia (IICA) hosted the inaugural Central Asia–United Kingdom Think Tank Forum, organised jointly with London-based ODI Global and the Embassy of the United Kingdom in Uzbekistan. The forum brought together more than 100 representatives from government-affiliated and independent think tanks, diplomatic missions, international organisations, the business community, and academia. Discussions focused on Eurasian transport connectivity, critical minerals, strengthening investor confidence, as well as education, skills development, and safe labour mobility.[i]
The inaugural Central Asia–United Kingdom Think Tank Forum can be viewed as part of efforts to move relations between the parties beyond political dialogue and establish more concrete and institutionalised areas of cooperation. One significant step in this direction was the first meeting of the foreign ministers of the five Central Asian countries with the United Kingdom in London on 26 February 2026, held in the CA5+United Kingdom format. Within the framework of this meeting, high-level discussions were held in various areas, particularly education, security, finance, and economic cooperation. In this context, the foreign ministers of the Central Asian countries met with representatives of the London Stock Exchange to discuss issues such as strengthening linkages between capital markets, increasing investment flows, and developing new financial instruments.[ii]
These developments indicate that Central Asia–United Kingdom relations are progressing beyond political dialogue towards a cooperation framework that extends across various fields and is becoming increasingly institutionalised. From this perspective, the Think Tank Forum held in September can be regarded not as an isolated development, but rather as a continuation of previous engagements.
The first of the Forum’s four main themes focused on Eurasian transport connectivity and, in this context, the development of the Middle Corridor. Discussions addressed not only strengthening the reliability, commercial viability, and institutional coordination of the route, but also how to ensure its financial and legal sustainability under changing conditions, as well as the role the United Kingdom could play in transforming national transport systems in Central Asia and Azerbaijan into a more integrated economic corridor.[iii] This suggests that the United Kingdom’s potential contribution to the Middle Corridor may extend beyond physical infrastructure investments to include areas such as financing, legal frameworks, insurance, and institutional capacity.
Critical minerals also constituted one of the Forum’s key agenda items. In this context, discussions focused on how the United Kingdom’s need for secure and diversified supply chains could align with Central Asian countries’ objectives of moving beyond raw material exports by expanding processing capacity, facilitating technology transfer, and creating greater added value. This points to the potential for mutually beneficial cooperation between the parties in the field of critical minerals.
At the same time, cooperation in the field of critical minerals is closely linked to the increasingly intense global competition in technology. Therefore, the fact that critical minerals were addressed as a separate topic at the Forum indicates that Central Asia–United Kingdom relations have the potential to develop not only in terms of trade and investment, but also in the context of increasingly strategic technology and supply chains.
This potential for cooperation is not limited to the Forum’s agenda. Cooperation in the field of critical minerals is already developing between Kazakhstan and the United Kingdom. Indeed, during the talks held in London on 26 February 2026, the parties agreed to deepen cooperation in the field of critical minerals. Discussions also covered expanding cooperation beyond mining activities to include processing, refining, recycling, and mechanisms for financing investment projects.[iv]
Accordingly, it can be argued that cooperation in the field of critical minerals is beginning to acquire an institutional basis and take more concrete form. The talks held in February demonstrated the parties’ commitment to taking their partnership in this area to a further stage and producing tangible outcomes. In this context, the allocation of a separate session to critical minerals at the Forum indicates that interest in further developing the existing cooperation remains strong.
This trend is also consistent with the Central Asian countries’ approach of developing more flexible and diversified relations and partnerships in the fields of technology and industry, rather than relying on a single partnership framework. Kazakhstan is a notable example of this approach. In June 2026, Kazakhstan joined the US-led Pax Silica and, shortly thereafter, the China-led WAICO, making it the only country to participate in both initiatives.[v]
This example demonstrates that Central Asian countries have gained a certain degree of experience in developing partnerships with different actors simultaneously and maintaining their room for manoeuvre without aligning themselves exclusively with a single axis. In this context, relations developed with the United Kingdom can likewise be viewed as an element that complements and diversifies the region’s existing partnership structure.
The Forum’s financing and investment dimension is also significant in this regard. Under this heading, discussions addressed not only strengthening investor confidence, institutional predictability, and financial integrity, but also establishing stronger institutional links between the international financial centres in Tashkent and Astana and London’s financial centre.[vi] This could provide opportunities for Central Asian countries not only to diversify their sources of financing, but also to strengthen the region’s integration with the United Kingdom and the broader international financial ecosystem.
The inclusion of education, skills development, and safe labour mobility on the Forum’s agenda demonstrates that the discussions were not limited to economic and sectoral areas of cooperation. These issues add a human and societal dimension to Central Asia–United Kingdom relations. Education, expert exchanges, and people-to-people interaction also play an important role in establishing more enduring relations. Indeed, the Forum also emphasised the importance of developing joint research, expert exchanges, and stronger institutional ties.[vii] Considering these areas alongside other fields of cooperation, such as transport, critical minerals, investment, and finance, may enable the parties to develop their relations through complementary dimensions that are not dependent on a single sector. From this perspective, the Forum demonstrates a comprehensive yet purpose-oriented structure that brings together different areas of focus under a common framework for cooperation.
In conclusion, the inaugural Central Asia–United Kingdom Think Tank Forum can be regarded as an important step towards translating the political dialogue maintained within the existing C5+United Kingdom format into more concrete areas of cooperation, with the participation of think tanks, the business community, and academic institutions. However, the Forum’s success and sustainability will largely depend on the continuity of this dialogue. Indeed, reinforcing political contacts through such forums and maintaining regular interaction at different levels are important for ensuring that cooperation acquires a lasting character. The fact that the Forum was held for the first time also indicates that the process is still at an early stage. Therefore, the main test going forward will be the extent to which the issues addressed at the Forum can be translated into viable projects and concrete initiatives.
[i] “Central Asia-UK Expert Dialogue Launched in Tashkent”, International Institute for Central Asia, https://iica.uz/en/event/toshkentda-markaziy-osiyo-va-buyuk-britaniya-ekspertlar-muloqotiga-boshlandi, (Date Accessed: 17.09.2026).
[ii] “Central Asia 5+United Kingdom summit advances strategic collaboration”, GOV.UK, https://www.gov.uk/government/news/central-asia-5united-kingdom-summit-advances-strategic-collaboration, (Date Accessed: 17.09.2026).
[iii] “Opening remarks by Javlon Vakhabov, Director of the International Institute for Central Asia, at the inaugural Central Asia-UK Think Tank Forum”, International Institute for Central Asia, https://iica.uz/en/news/2026/09/16/markaziy-osiyo-buyuk-britaniya-tahlil-markazlarining-birinchi-forumida-markaziy-osiyo-xalqaro-instituti-direktori-javlon-vaxabovning-kirish-nutqi, (Date Accessed: 17.09.2026).
[iv] “Kazakhstan and the United Kingdom Deepen Economic Cooperation in Priority Sectors”, https://www.gov.kz/memleket/entities/mfa/press/news/details/1170613?lang=en, (Date Accessed: 18.09.2026).
[v] Catherine Putz, “Pax Silica vs WAICO: Will Central Asia Have to Pick a Side?”, The Diplomat, https://thediplomat.com/2026/09/pax-silica-vs-waico-will-central-asia-have-to-pick-a-side/, (Date Accessed: 18.09.2026).
[vi] “Opening remarks by Javlon Vakhabov…”, a.g.m.
[vii] Ibid.
