Energy and Economy 

 

Prime Minister Pashinyan Says Construction of the TRIPP Corridor Will Begin in 2026

Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan announced that construction of the TRIPP corridor, a key component of the Middle Corridor trade network, is expected to begin in the second half of 2026. TRIPP, the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity, is a central element of the provisional Armenia-Azerbaijan peace deal signed in Washington in August and has attracted serious attention to the region. Pashinyan told lawmakers that the route’s configuration and operational framework should be finalized by mid-2026 but noted the timeframe for such projects “often changes.” 

Source: Eurasianet

Asian Development Bank Awards $300 Million Loan to Uzbekistan

The loan from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) aims to foster the further development of smaller and medium-sized enterprises, with an emphasis on strengthening digitalization and supporting women-owned businesses. The initiative also strives to improve lending practices.  A portion of the latest loan will also widen access to financing for entrepreneurs.

Source: Times of Central Asia

Uzbekistan Announces Plan to Build Central Asia’s Largest Ethanol Refinery

Abu Dhabi–based Allied Biofuels FE LLC and India’s Praj Industries Ltd have signed a memorandum of understanding to build an ethanol refinery in Uzbekistan’s Khorezm region. Praj Industries will provide the technology and support the facility’s design, engineering, and commissioning. Allied Biofuels will convert the ethanol produced at the facility into 160,400 tons of Sustainable Aviation Fuel and 5,040 tons of green diesel each year. The project aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, contributing to Central Asia’s green energy development.

Source: The Times of Central Asia

Sea Freight Traffic Increases by 8% in Azerbaijan

According to the State Statistics Committee of Azerbaijan, in the first 10 months of 2025, the country shipped and received 7.7 million tons of cargo, 560,000 tons more than in 2024, accounting for an eight percent increase. Oil-related cargo accounted for almost half of the total cargo volume. Nearly 200 million tons of cargo were transported in the country in the first 10 months of the year, with sea freight accounting for approximately four percent.

Source: Vestnik Kavkaza

Politics and Security

 

Azerbaijan Joins the C5 Format as a Full Member

During the seventh Consultative Meeting of Heads of State, Central Asian leaders agreed that Azerbaijan would participate as a full member in future meetings, expanding the C5 format into a C6. While Azerbaijan has previously participated as a guest with full rights, its full accession reinforces already-growing regional connectivity and cooperation across the Caspian, including initiatives like the Middle Corridor. In a speech following the announcement, Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev described Central Asia and Azerbaijan as forming “a single geopolitical and geo-economic region whose importance in the world is steadily growing.”

Source: The Times of Central Asia

President Tokayev Visits Putin in Moscow

Following his visit to Washington, President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev arrived in Moscow for a two-day diplomatic visit with President Putin. In an effort to strengthen cooperation between the two countries, the presidents signed a declaration elevating bilateral relations to a “Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and Alliance.” During the meeting, the leaders discussed the success of current bilateral trade and energy cooperation, particularly Russian gas supplies to Kazakhstan’s northern and eastern regions, as well as the role of the Russian company Rosatom in building the first nuclear power plant in Kazakhstan. After the business forum held in conjunction with Tokayev’s visit, Kazakhstan Trade Minister Arman Shakkaliev announced that Kazakhstan and Russia had planned 29 business deals worth a total of $31 billion. 

Source: Eurasianet, The Times of Central Asia

Kazakh Oil Projects Receive Exemptions from Latest U.S. Oil Sanctions on Russia

The U.S. Department of the Treasury announced that the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC), Tengizchevroil, and the Karachaganak field in northwest Kazakhstan will all be allowed to continue operations in full, despite the involvement of Rosneft and Lukoil. The United States levied sanctions against the two Russian oil giants in October. Rosneft has shares in the CPC, while Lukoil is a shareholder in Tengizchevroil and the Karachaganak Petroleum Operating consortium. 

Sources: The Times of Central Asia, U.S. Department of the Treasury

U.S. Under Secretary of State to Visit Armenia and Azerbaijan

U.S. Under Secretary for Political Affairs Allison Hooker is currently traveling to Armenia and Azerbaijan until November 21. Earlier today, Hooker arrived in Yerevan, Armenia where she is set to discuss the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP) and Armenia–U.S. relations with the Armenian leadership. Hooker will visit Azerbaijan later in the week. 

Source: Report News Agency, U.S. Department of State

Kazakhstan Agrees to Introduce Amur Tigers from Russia

During Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s recent visit to Moscow, the two states’ ministers of ecology agreed to an action plan to transfer four Amur, or Siberian, tigers from Russia to Kazakhstan. The tigers will relocate to the Ile-Balkhash State Nature Reserve, which already received two Amur tigers from the Netherlands in 2024. These recent efforts aim to reintroduce tigers to Kazakhstan, which was previously home to the Caspian Tiger—an extinct species that is genetically similar to the Amur tiger. 

Source: Tengrinews

Central Asian Heads of State Meet in Uzbekistan 

The region’s leaders gathered in Tashkent on November 15 for the Seventh Consultative Meeting of Heads of State. Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev opened multilateral discussions by proposing the creation of a “Community of Central Asia,” with the goal of enhancing the region’s economic integration. On the sidelines, Mirziyoyev held bilateral meetings with his counterparts.  He and Turkmenistan President Serdar Berdimuhamedov agreed to the creation of a new joint border zone and to increase bilateral trade turnover. 

Source: Euronews, Reuters