BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 22. Kazakhstan and
Uzbekistan are taking another confident step toward becoming
Central Asia’s main energy tandem. Against the backdrop of growing
interest from global players, the two countries are increasingly
relying on their own resources and on each other shaping the
regional agenda in ways that best serve their interests.
During President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s recent visit to
Tashkent, bilateral energy cooperation received new momentum. One
of the key outcomes of the visit was an agreement between
KazMunayGas and Uzbekneftegaz, a document that effectively opens a
new era of interaction between the two companies. This is not a
one-off project but a comprehensive platform: joint geological
exploration, technical data exchange, development of the oil and
gas chemical industry, and the establishment of a unified
information space. In essence, the two states are proposing to
unite not only efforts, but also technologies, infrastructure and
their long-term visions for the sector.
“Joint initiatives in the oil and gas sector create a foundation
for major investment projects. The exchange of geological and
technical data increases transparency, reduces risks, and paves the
way for attracting significant capital to the industry. And
board-level meetings between KMG and UNG are already focused on
practical initiatives—this sends a clear signal to the market about
the seriousness of their intentions,” Uzbek expert Ranokhon
Tursunova told Trend.
These agreements open the door not only to joint drilling, but
also to the construction of new processing facilities and entry
into international markets with larger volumes of products.
Kazakhstan brings infrastructure; Uzbekistan brings its rapidly
developing petrochemical hubs. Together, they are forming an
investment magnet the region has simply not had before.
Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan also share common interests and
ambitions in the gas sector. According to President Tokayev, the
countries intend to further develop the
“Russia–Kazakhstan–Uzbekistan” project, which has already become an
important element of the regional energy balance.
“The Russia-Kazakhstan-Uzbekistan gas project is delivering
successful results. Together, we plan to increase the volume of gas
transit. In addition, there are good prospects for expanding
cooperation in the oil sector and the nuclear industry,” Tokayev
said at a press briefing in Tashkent.
Gas cooperation is already producing tangible results. In the
first seven months of 2025, Kazakhstan transited 921.7 million
cubic meters of gas through Uzbekistan, and deliveries of Russian
gas along this route are expected to rise to 11 billion cubic
meters per year.
“Our partnership with Uzbekistan is strategic. Our countries are
key elements of a unified energy architecture of Central Asia,”
noted Kazakhstan’s Minister of Energy Yerlan Akkhenzhenov.
Electricity is another area where both countries act in sync.
Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan have agreed on supplies of nearly 900
million kWh of electricity in 2026. For Kazakhstan, this is a way
to withstand peak winter loads; for Uzbekistan, it is an
opportunity to manage its energy system more flexibly, especially
during the commissioning of new solar, wind and gas power
plants.
“This protocol reduces the risks of energy shortages,
particularly during power plant maintenance and peak demand
periods. It is a step toward creating a more predictable energy
model for the region,” explains Professor Tursunova.
Water resources represent a separate level of cooperation. Amid
climate fluctuations, falling reservoir levels in Kyrgyzstan, and
pressure on the Syr Darya and Amu Darya basins, Kazakhstan and
Uzbekistan are strengthening coordination of water flows. This is
no longer merely technical work: energy, agriculture and regional
security directly depend on coordinated water releases.
In the “green” sector, the two countries are also moving in
parallel. Kazakhstan aims to increase the share of renewables to 15
percent by 2030, while Uzbekistan’s target is 40 percent. Their
participation in the Green Energy Corridor across the Caspian Sea
together with Azerbaijan is becoming one of the key directions. The
establishment of the joint venture Yasil Dəhliz Birliyi on July 1,
2025, marked another practical step toward exporting clean energy
to Europe.
The region’s largest hydropower initiative, the Kambarata HPP-1,
which Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan are ready to develop
with support from the World Bank – also remains high on the agenda.
This is a long-term contribution to the sustainability of the
regional energy balance.
Today, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan are not merely developing
separate projects, they are building the framework of Central
Asia’s future energy system. Within this structure, oil, gas,
water, electricity and green technologies become interconnected
elements. And the more closely Astana and Tashkent align their
cooperation, the more stable the entire region becomes. The two
largest countries in Central Asia are not only strengthening their
own positions but also shaping a new center of energy power, where
decisions are made not outside the region, but within it.
