CENTRAL ASIA IN CONTEMPORARY INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS: GEOPOLITICAL TRANSFORMATION, REGIONAL COOPERATION, AND EXTERNAL POWER ENGAGEMENT

This article examines the place of Central Asia in contemporary international relations through the interaction of geography, security, economics, and diplomacy. The region has acquired renewed strategic significance due to its position between major powers, its energy and transit potential, and its role in emerging Eurasian connectivity projects. At the same time, the five Central Asian states pursue distinct foreign policy strategies shaped by domestic reforms, historical experience, and changing external environments. The study analyzes the influence of Russia, China, the United States, the European Union, Turkey, and other actors on regional dynamics, while also considering the agency of Central Asian governments themselves. Special attention is given to regional cooperation, water and border issues, trade corridors, and the effects of recent global crises on political decision making. The article argues that Central Asia should be understood not as a passive object of great power rivalry, but as an increasingly active participant in shaping a multi-vector international order.