GEOPOLITICS OF CONNECTIVITY AMONG SUB-REGIONS OF GREATER CENTRAL ASIA

Date

2025-5

Author

GILLANI, Syed Ali Asad

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The Greater Central Asian region is also witnessing connectivity-induced transformational changes. Its three sub-regions of Central, South and West Asia are richly endowed and strategically located in the middle of numerous east-west and north-south connectivity initiatives. Besides having historical linkages and numerous socio-cultural commonalities, each sub-region has its own peculiarities, historical experiences and security environment that shape its geopolitical and geoeconomic outlook, as well as influence its policy choices. Enhanced regional connectivity is transforming the internal dynamics of traditional Regional Security Complexes in each of the three sub-regions, as well as influencing the outlooks of their constituent member states by diversifying their options. This research tries to answer the research question: Amid competing global power overlays, can connectivity promote regional cooperation among sub-regions of the Greater Central Asia? The main argument of this research is that in the changing global dynamics towards a multi-polar world and the sharpening global power competition, both enablers for and impediments to regional cooperation and interdependence among the sub-regions of the Greater Central Asia co-exist. Increasing connectivity is catalyzing the enablers and bringing the sub-regions closer. At the same time, it is deepening the geopolitical fault lines that impede the prospects of regional cooperation. This research concludes that the final outcome i.e. whether enhanced connectivity would lead to more cooperation, interdependence and integration within the Greater Central Asia or make the region fragmented along geopolitical divides would depend on the geopolitics of connectivity, power penetrations and overlays, and the strategic choices made by leaders in the Greater Central Asia.

Subject Keywords

Connectivity, Geopolitics, Regional Security Complex, Power overlays

URI

https://hdl.handle.net/11511/114953

Collections

Graduate School of Social Sciences, Thesis