Central Asia in March 2026: the most important developments in politics
In March 2026, Central Asia's politics were dominated by Kazakhstan's constitutional referendum, held on March 15. Voters approved a new constitution with 87.15% in favour, according to the election commission. Turnout exceeded 50%, which made the vote valid, and foreign observers cited high turnout and smooth voting. The new constitution is reported to strengthen the president's powers. Leaders including Vladimir Putin, the presidents of Uzbekistan and Pakistan's prime minister congratulated President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, and Putin and Tokayev reaffirmed their countries' strategic partnership in a phone call on March 20.
On the war in the Middle East, Tokayev discussed the situation with the Emir of Qatar and expressed support to the UAE leader, while Kazakhstan's Foreign Ministry offered condolences to Iran and urged de-escalation. Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin visited Kazakhstan for talks and a meeting of the Eurasian Economic Union on March 25, and Xi Jinping called for closer cooperation with Turkmenistan in natural gas and trade.
Other developments included a new cooperation framework between Kazakhstan and the UN for 2026-2030, the creation of a special authority to oversee Alatau City, and an ultimatum from Kyrgyzstan to the European Union over its relations with Russia.
by WorldBrief & Maksim Micheliov | AI-generated summary
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