For the past few years, Central Asian states focused on settling border disputes and forging stronger 
trade connections among themselves. Now it seems they are ready to broaden their horizons to include Mongolia, a country with strong cultural and historical ties to the region, but which, until now, has been largely forgotten as a trade partner.

Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev on June 24-25 made a first-ever visit for an Uzbek leader in the post-Soviet era to the Mongolian capital Ulaanbaatar, describing it as an “historic event in the development of friendly relations and multifaceted cooperation.”

The trip yielded a bundle of agreements aiming to lay the groundwork for trade in such areas as agriculture, mining, environmental protection, textile manufacturing and tourism. Mirziyoyev also announced that Uzbekistan would open a trade centre in Ulaanbaatar to serve as a “physical base” for developing a “comprehensive partnership.” In addition, the Uzbek leader said direct flights between the two countries would start this coming fall.

Uzbekistan is not the only Central Asian state paying more attention to Mongolia: earlier in June, Turkmenistan’s nominal president, Serdar Berdimuhamedov, the son of the country’s paramount leader, received the red-carpet treatment in Ulaanbaatar. His was a reciprocal visit, following Mongolian President Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh’s trip to Ashgabat last autumn. 

Berdimuhamedov’s visit seemed filled with more pomp than substance, but officials from the two states announced the signing of memoranda to develop programmes for strengthening political relations, transport logistics and trade ties covering 2026-28.

In remarks published by the official Turkmen outlet, Turkmenistan-the Golden Age, Berdimuhamedov noted that “Turkmen-Mongolian relations are becoming systematic and regular, reaching the level of a sustainable mutually beneficial partnership.”

Central Asian states and Mongolia share plenty of cultural traits stretching back centuries to the Golden Horde’s conquest of the Eurasian landmass in the 13th century. But the common bonds rooted in nomadic traditions, as well as a shared legacy of Kremlin-imposed communism, did not translate into any serious diplomatic engagement during the first three decades of the post-Soviet era.

Mongolia last year took the initiative to open trade connections with cultural-cousin states. In addition to visiting Turkmenistan last autumn, President Khurelsukh toured Central Asia capitals last June. Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev paid a state visit to Mongolia in October.

Speaking at a June 19 regional forum in Ulaanbaatar dedicated to promoting mutual trade, Mongolia’s deputy prime minister, Dorjkhand Togmid, described his country as “no longer casual observers of greater Central Asia, but active participants” in developing trade networks. He described Mongolia as a “bridge” for the emerging Middle Corridor network, facilitating trade from East Asia to Europe. He added that the focus in the coming months should be on harmonising regulatory frameworks to eliminate trade “choke-points.” 

Geography is an obvious barrier to expanding commerce: Central Asian states and Mongolia lack direct connections, as well as outlets to the sea, with Mongolia entirely surrounded by Russia and China. Mirziyoyev acknowledged the challenges while in Ulaanbaatar, saying that “as landlocked countries, it was agreed to jointly develop effective transport routes with the broad involvement of experts.

The efforts to bolster Central Asian-Mongolian ties are receiving the strong support of the United States and European Union. “Regional cooperation is not just a strategic choice; it is a necessity for long-term development and prosperity,” US Ambassador to Mongolia, Richard Buangan, told attendees at the June 19 regional forum, adding that Mongolia was capable of playing a “pivotal role” in trade between “Central Asia and the broader international community.”

Meanwhile, the EU’s envoy to Mongolia, Ina Marciulionyte, urged regional leaders to focus efforts on strengthening digital connections capable of transcending geographic obstacles, asserting that such ties are “no less important” than overland transit routes. She mentioned that the EU could facilitate digital cooperation under the auspices of its Copernicus Initiative, the Earth observation component of the EU space programme. 

The initiative generates data using satellite imaging that can help participating governments address a wide range of issues, including making more efficient use of land and water resources, improving responses to natural disasters, evaluating the effects of global warming and geological surveying.

Marciulionyte also called attention to the establishment of a European Investment Bank (EIB) office in Uzbekistan, announced during the April EU-Central Asia summit. She characterised it as a “big deal,” capable of hastening the development of infrastructure projects to boost Central Asian-Mongolia trade.

This article first appeared on Eurasianet here.