Greater Eurasia
The interconnected geopolitical space from the Pacific to the Mediterranean. Six institutional frameworks, five trade corridors, and the world's fastest-growing emerging market region.
Regional GDP
$6T+
Population
1.5B
CA Growth '25
6.2%
Corridors
5 Active
Strategic Context
Key Vectors
Five corridors link China to Europe and the Indian Ocean. The Middle Corridor carried 4.5 million tons in 2024, up 62% year-on-year. The INSTC handled 26.9 million tons. The CPC oil pipeline moved 70.5 million tons. Together, they are reshaping global logistics.
5 active corridorsThe SCO encompasses 42% of the world's population. The EAEU generates $100 billion in intra-bloc trade. The OTS reached $58 billion. CSTO and CAREC add security and development dimensions. Overlapping memberships create both opportunity and friction.
6 frameworksThe CPC pipeline, TANAP, Central Asia-China gas lines (55 bcm capacity), and the planned TAPI form the region's energy backbone. Kazakhstan supplies 40% of global uranium. Uzbekistan launched a $2.6 billion critical minerals initiative spanning 28 minerals.
40% global uraniumSanctions rerouting has increased Kyrgyz exports to Russia by 90%. The Hormuz crisis disrupts 20% of global oil transit. Compliance corridors between Western sanctions and Eastern trade create a regulatory tightrope that spans every market in the region.
Cascading risksThe Middle Corridor
The Trans-Caspian International Transport Route connects China to Europe via Kazakhstan, the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Türkiye — bypassing Russia entirely. Cargo volumes quadrupled since 2022. New Caspian super-ferries, rail upgrades, and port expansions are eliminating bottlenecks.
The Energy Grid
A network of oil and gas pipelines connects Caspian producers to European and Asian consumers. The CPC pipeline carries Kazakh crude to the Black Sea. TANAP delivers Azerbaijani gas to Europe. Central Asia-China lines supply 55 billion cubic meters annually. The Hormuz crisis has made alternative routes strategically critical.
The INSTC Corridor
The 7,200 km International North-South Transport Corridor links Russia's Astrakhan through Azerbaijan and Iran to India's Mumbai — cutting transit time from 40+ days via Suez to roughly 25. Freight hit 26.9 million tons in 2024, up 19% year-on-year. The critical Rasht-Astara rail link is under development with EUR 1.6 billion in Russian investment.
The Critical Minerals Belt
Central Asia sits atop globally significant deposits of uranium, rare earths, copper, tungsten, and lithium. Kazakhstan produced 23,270 tons of uranium in 2024 — 39% of global output. The EU committed EUR 2.5 billion at the 2025 Samarkand summit for critical minerals under Global Gateway. Mongolia's Oyu Tolgoi is on track to produce 500,000 metric tons of copper annually by 2028.
Sanctions Rerouting
Since 2022, Central Asian and Caucasus states have become primary conduits for goods flowing from China and Turkey to Russia. Kyrgyzstan's exports to Russia surged 250% from 2021 to 2022, with a 41,000% spike in machinery exports. Direct Russia-China trade fell 9.5% in 2025, indicating displacement through Central Asian intermediaries. Western companies face secondary sanctions risk across the region.
The Water-Energy Nexus
Central Asia's Amu Darya and Syr Darya rivers originate in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan's mountains, then irrigate Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Kazakhstan's agricultural heartlands. River flows have declined 20% over 50 years. Tajikistan's Rogun Dam — a $6.3 billion project to become the world's tallest — would reshape water allocation for 10 million downstream residents. The World Bank has frozen further financing pending a credible debt strategy.
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