THE ROLE OF UZBEKISTAN IN THE BELT AND ROAD INITIATIVE: A STRATEGIC NEXUS IN CENTRAL ASIA

Uzbekistan occupies a distinctive position in Central Asia. It borders all four other Central Asian countries and Afghanistan, yet it is doubly landlocked and remains dependent on cross-border transit to reach international maritime markets. This combination of centrality and constraint makes Uzbekistan a particularly useful case for examining whether the Belt and Road Initiative can transform geographical position into regional economic influence. This article examines Uzbekistans BRI participation from a regional rather than a bilateral perspective. It asks how BRI-related connectivity interacts with Uzbekistans domestic economic reforms and its renewed engagement with neighboring Central Asian countries, and under what conditions infrastructure connectivity can contribute to regional integration. The study combines regional integration theory, connectivity theory, and new economic geography and uses qualitative content analysis of academic literature, official policy documents, and reports from international organizations. The analysis finds that Uzbekistan is moving from a landlocked transit country toward a strategic regional nexus, but that this transformation is conditional.