Multilevel order? Rethinking regional cooperation in Central Asia

The theme of Central Asian regional cooperation became particularly relevant after Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan gained independence in 1991. Today, despite the absence of formal regional institutions, Central Asian republics continue to seek cooperation through informal, often fragmented governance mechanisms. A form of "multilevel order" can be observed in Central Asia, where national governments, regional forums, and global powers interact in a coordinated yet overlapping manner. Drawing on recent scholarly developments, particularly [Filippo Costa Buranelli’s research](https://brill.com/view/journals/caa/8/1/article-p1_1.xml), on the difference between *regionalism* and *order*, I would like to rethink how Central Asia coordinates without formal integration as a region.