Contending Political Rationalities of Central Asian Regionalism

This article studies the problems of regionalism in Central Asia. Unlike Europe and Southeast Asia, which created strong organisations like the EU and ASEAN, Central Asia has weak and overlapping institutions. They do not provide real multilateral cooperation. Instead, foreign powers such as Russia, China, and the United States push their own projects. This often leads to bilateral ties rather than true regional integration. As a result, Central Asian states may lose influence in the international system. The paper argues that these states need to create their own regional project. Examples from the EU and ASEAN show that regionalism can succeed when local actors take the lead, even if foreign powers are present. The EU’s new policy toward Central Asia may help support this process.