THE ROLE OF CIVIL SOCIETY INSTITUTIONS IN REGIONAL INTEGRATION PROCESSES IN CENTRAL ASIA

Farkhad Buranov

Deputy Director of the Center
for the Analysis of Democratic Processes, 
Candidate of Legal Sciences (PhD in Law),
Associate Professor.

 The theoretical and methodological foundations of the “Bottom-Up” approach to regional integration

Regional integration in Central Asia, under the conditions of the contemporary geopolitical landscape, is increasingly evolving beyond the framework of exclusively interstate cooperation and emerging as a complex, multidimensional process. In the context of global instability, the region is progressively asserting itself as a unified, competitive, and strategically significant actor in international relations. Historically, Central Asia has served as a bridge between East and West, embodying substantial energy resources, rich cultural and civilizational heritage, and considerable human potential [1].

The policy course launched in the middle of the 2010s with the objective of strengthening mutual trust and promoting pragmatic cooperation has resulted in the gradual institutionalization of the Consultative Meetings of the Heads of State of Central Asia [2]. The Seventh Consultative Meeting of the Heads of State of Central Asia, held in Tashkent on 16 November 2025 under the chairmanship of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, represented a landmark event that marked the beginning of a qualitatively new stage in the region’s development. The unanimous decision of the participating heads of state to grant the Republic of Azerbaijan full membership in this consultative format significantly expanded its geopolitical scope, transforming it into a novel platform for regional cooperation that connects Central Asia and the South Caucasus within a broader framework of interregional integration.

In this context, the long-term sustainability of regional integration processes depends not solely on political declarations and interstate commitments, but also on the consolidation of social linkages and sustained interactions among the societies of the region. Civil society institutions, including non-governmental non-profit organizations (NGOs), public movements, expert and analytical centers, and youth associations, constitute important driving forces of integration processes developing in accordance with the bottom-up principle. By facilitating the implementation of interstate initiatives within society, these actors contribute to aligning integration strategies with the practical needs and interests of the population [3].