Central Asia in June 2026: the most important developments in politics
In Central Asia in June 2026, the most covered political story was Kyrgyzstan's election to the UN Security Council. Around 3 June it won a non-permanent seat for the first time in its history, alongside Austria, and will take it up in January. Germany lost in the same vote. Earlier in the month Kyrgyzstan had called for more Security Council seats for Asian, African and Latin American countries.
Kazakhstan held the most varied diplomacy. President Tokayev received Cyprus's President Christodoulides in Astana, where the two countries expanded cooperation, and Kazakhstan extended its partnership agreement with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development until 2030. On 23 June Tokayev met European Council President Costa in Brussels, and Kazakhstan and China pledged deeper trade and connectivity cooperation. Kazakhstan said it is open to hosting Iran's uranium stockpile if a nuclear deal is reached, and a Kazakh minister explained the strategic and economic rationale for leasing land near the Strait of Hormuz. Tokayev said on 25 June that Kazakhstan would enter a new era of development on 1 July, and on 26 June that the people of Kazakhstan will determine the country's future.
Russia stayed active in the region. Putin discussed the outcome of the Eurasian Economic Union summit in Astana with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. Among the neighbours, Belarusian Prime Minister Roman Golovchenko visited Bishkek and signed agreements with Kyrgyzstan on information exchange and standardization, and Uzbekistan handed over two villages to Kyrgyzstan. Germany and Uzbekistan strengthened their partnership, and the foreign ministers of Iran and Uzbekistan held talks.
by WorldBrief & Maksim Micheliov | AI-generated summary
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