Long considered a periphery of the world, Central Asia is now emerging as an important geopolitical and strategic hub. Crossed by the Silk Road since ancient times, the region is regaining its centrality thanks to China’s One Belt, One Road Initiative (BRI) and the Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor (TCTC), changing the shape of trade between China, Europe and the Middle East. Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan are rich in hydrocarbons, uranium, gold and rare earth metals, and are attracting the attention of major powers. Will Central Asia, long considered a secondary geopolitical space, become a strategic epicentre again?
Experts Murat Seitnepesov – President of the Greater Caspian Region Association (organizers of “Caspian Week Forum” in Davos, Beijing, Dubai and Baku), CEO of Integral Group and Hicheme Lehmici – geopolitical expert, lecturer at the SWISS UMEF University, deeply explored this topic at the conference of the independent discussion platform Apéro Géopolitique. It was organized jointly with the Swiss UMEF University of Applied Sciences Institute and took place on March 28 at the Chateau d’Air in Geneva.