On October 9, 2025, Russian President Vladimir Putin addressed the second Central Asia–Russia summit in Dushanbe, reaffirming Russia’s dedication to strengthening strategic partnerships and alliances with Central Asian states—Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. The speech highlighted the immense potential for economic cooperation, outlining key achievements and future directions for mutually beneficial relations.
A cornerstone of Putin’s address was the robust trade relationship between Russia and the Central Asian “five.” In 2024, bilateral trade surpassed $45 billion, with a further 4% increase recorded from January to July 2025.
Putin described this as a “solid result” but emphasized the untapped potential, comparing it to Russia’s trade with Belarus, which exceeds $50 billion despite a population of just 10 million. In contrast, Uzbekistan’s population nears 40 million, Tajikistan’s exceeds 10 million, and Kazakhstan’s surpasses 20 million, signaling vast opportunities for economic expansion.
To bolster financial independence, Russia and its Central Asian partners are prioritizing national currencies in mutual settlements. “A gradual transition to the priority use of national currencies in mutual settlements is underway. The Russian financial messaging system, along with similar systems in your countries, is widely utilised for contract payments. The practice of opening direct correspondent accounts between credit institutions of our states has become widespread”, he told.
Russia remains a leading investor in Central Asia, with over $20 billion in investments, though Putin remarked that this figure is “not enough.” Approximately 25,000 companies with Russian capital operate in the region.
Industrial cooperation is a priority, with joint initiatives including industrial parks, trading houses, and wholesale distribution centers. Major projects span automotive manufacturing, agricultural machinery, mineral fertilizers, and other sectors.
Putin expressed Russia’s interest in seeing Central Asian companies participate in its industrial, high-tech, and import-substitution programs. He stressed the region’s progress in these areas, which opens new avenues for collaboration.
The Russian President underscored the importance of developing new logistics and transport networks. Key priorities include the North–South and East–West routes, as well as new transcontinental corridors.
“Furthermore, these and other Eurasian logistics projects could be integrated into a single transport network complete with modern digital and transport services. This would significantly increase the volume of international freight traffic across our shared region”, he said.
Beyond traditional hydrocarbon trade, energy cooperation includes advanced nuclear power plant construction and renewable energy adoption. Russian companies are modernizing major Soviet-era hydroelectric facilities in Central Asia and are ready to support new hydropower projects and ensure the safe operation of water-energy infrastructure.
Russia has allocated over $33 million for joint programs, including monitoring the Amu Darya and Syr Darya river basins, promoting water conservation, reuse technologies, and afforestation efforts in the Aral Sea region. “. We see promising opportunities for joint work in the field of natural resource development”, Putin said.
In high-tech, Russia offers digital solutions for optimizing governance and developing smart cities.
Putin pointed out the existing cooperation opportunities within the Eurasian Economic Union, including for those countries that are not its full members. Thus, the Eurasian Fund for Stabilization and Development allocated over one billion dollars to support Central Asia economies, aiding budget stability and balance of payments.
The Eurasian Development Bank has financed regional projects worth $8.7 billion, accounting for over a third of international financial support to the region.
Putin addressed the situation in Afghanistan, noting its significance for Russia and Central Asia. “Regrettably, terrorist organizations are still trying to use Afghanistan’s territory for disseminating extremist ideology and criminal activities. We see the incumbent authorities in Afghanistan expressing readiness for mutually beneficial cooperation in various areas, including in combating terrorism and drug mafia”, he told, expressing readiness to support these aspirations.
The summit concluded with the adoption of a Communiqué and Action Plan, which Putin believes will deepen friendly and mutually beneficial ties. ///nCa, 10 October 2025