The article provides an empirical and analytical assessment of Kazakhstan’s ability to transform its existing transport and logistics infrastructure into a competitive advantage within Central Asia. Based on a comparison of indicators for 2020–2024 and a case-study analysis, the authors demonstrate the country’s substantial infrastructural capacity-including an extensive railway network, port connectivity through the Caspian Sea, and key border crossings with China-which has supported a notable increase in transit volumes. The analysis of technological and institutional developments highlights progress in the digitalization of operations (electronic documentation and tracking platforms), partial railway electrification, and the expansion of renewable-energy initiatives. The authors show that the combination of digital traceability and technical modernization creates the foundations for the commercialization of low-carbon transport corridors; at the same time, several constraints are identified, including uneven electrification, the need for accurate verification of energy consumption and the share of renewables, as well as fragmented regional digital integration, which collectively limit the full realization of this potential. The results have practical significance for policy formation and investment strategies in the field of transit logistics.

This study assesses export concentration risk in four Central Asian economies (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan) by examining trade specialization patterns in 31 mineral, chemical, textile, and metallurgical product groups over 2017–2024. Using a multi-index framework based on Revealed Symmetric Comparative Advantage (RSCA), Relative Trade Advantage (RTA), and the Lafay Index (LI), the paper distinguishes structurally embedded competitive advantages from export signals that are weak, import-dependent, or potentially transient. The revised analysis adds explicit data consistency checks, a clarified classification rule, and robustness tests based on sign concordance, majority-index rules, and RSCA-only thresholds. The results show that Central Asia’s risk profile is highly persistent but heterogeneous: Tajikistan is exposed to extreme single-commodity risk in aluminium and cotton-related segments; Kazakhstan remains vulnerable to mineral-fuel concentration and energy-price volatility; Uzbekistan has broader but still labour-intensive textile specialization; and Kyrgyzstan shows ambiguous competitiveness that may partly reflect re-export and transit-related trade. Fully competitive product groups are confined mainly to resource- and labour-intensive activities, while chemicals and technologically complex manufacturing remain non-competitive across the region. The findings support risk-differentiated policy responses, including commodity-price hedging, counter-cyclical stabilization tools, downstream processing, textile upgrading, and regional value-chain development.

This article is devoted to the study of the interconnection and interdependence of the economies of Central Asia (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan), which plays an increasingly significant role in the global economy, based on its strategic location, natural resources and growing economic potential. Studying the influence of the Central Asian economies on each other helps to understand the complex web of economic ties in the region and has practical implications for solving economic problems and stimulating sustainable development in the region. The purpose of the study is to identify and assess the degree of interconnection and interdependence between the macroeconomic indicators of the countries of the region and their impact on the economic development of Kazakhstan. The assessment is carried out by the method of correlation and regression analysis based on data on the GDP of the countries of the region. The article was prepared within the framework of the grant funding project of the Science Committee of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan «The role of Kazakhstan in deepening regional integration of CA countries and its sustainable development goals within modern global trends» (BR18574168).

This article is focused on analyzing the market conditions for agricultural products in Central Asian countries. The study was conducted in order to identify the current state and prospects for the development of the agricultural sector in the region. The authors analyzed the volume of production and consumption of agricultural products, market structure, trends in price dynamics, as well as domestic and external demand for agricultural products. Special attention is paid to the role of international cooperation and cooperation of entrepreneurs in the development of the agricultural sector. The results of the study can be used to develop strategies for the development of the agricultural sector in Central Asian countries. The purpose of the study is to determine the optimal range of agricultural products, study options for their possible processing into a finished product in order to create an effective production chain within the framework of cooperation between entrepreneurs in Central Asian countries based on an analysis of the market conditions for agricultural products in these countries. The analysis of domestic and external demand for agricultural products will assist in developing strategies to increase export opportunities and attract investment. The findings of the study can be used by Central Asian governments to make informed decisions in the field of agricultural policy and entrepreneurship support. In addition, the research will help strengthen international cooperation and cooperation between entrepreneurs in the region, which will lead to sustainable development of the agricultural industry.