New Uzbekistan: The Republic’s Strategic Re-orientation in an Evolving International System
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.61841/gqh9sh87Keywords:
New Uzbekistan, Eurasia, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, Strategy, Geo-politicsAbstract
The transformation of Uzbekistan since 2016 under Shavkat Mirziyoyev represents a significant case of strategic re-orientation in a post-Soviet state navigating an evolving international system. Moving away from the isolationist tendencies of the Islam Karimov era, Uzbekistan has embraced regionalism, economic openness, and multi-vector diplomacy. This article examines how “New Uzbekistan” reflects a recalibration of foreign policy rooted in regional engagement, geo-economic connectivity, and strategic balancing among major powers. It argues that Uzbekistan’s transformation illustrates how middle powers adapt to systemic changes through pragmatic diplomacy, regional leadership, and economic integration. The study adopts a qualitative, mixed method research design to examine Uzbekistan’s strategic re-orientation in the post 2016 period. It combines comparative foreign policy analysis with a case study approach, focusing on key shifts under the leadership of Shavkat Mirziyoyev. The research relies on primary sources including official government documents, policy specehes, bilateral agreements and regional cooperation frameworks. It also incorporates secondary sources such as academic literature, policy reports, and think tank analyses. A process- tracing method is employed to identify causal mechanisms driving policy transformation, particularly in areas of regional diplomacy, economic liberalisation, and multilateral engagement. The study further utilises a geopolitical analytical framework to situate Uzbekistan’s evolving strategy within broader dynamics of great power competition, regional integration, and Eurasian connectivity.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Monalisa Deka (Author)
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