The Belt and Road Initiative’s role in Central Asia’s “green” development within the win-win cooperation framework: a case of Uzbekistan

This article analyses the role of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in promoting “green” development in Central Asian countries within a “win-win” paradigm, with a particular focus on Uzbekistan. It demonstrates that the win-win concept serves as a normative framework in which environmental projects are viewed as tools for simultaneously achieving economic growth, energy security, and reduced environmental risks, thereby forming a positive-sum model of regional interaction. For Central Asian countries, participation in the BRI’s “green” dimension opens access to investments, technologies, and management solutions in renewable energy, power grid modernization, green finance, and new areas. For China, as the main contributor within the Green BRI, the region is becoming a space for market expansion and the consolidation of its technological leadership. The case of Uzbekistan demonstrates the transition from isolated projects to a scalable transformation of the energy sector. At the same time, mutual benefits are not automatic and depend on institutional maturity, the quality of environmental regulation, infrastructure modernization, and the ability to integrate BRI projects into national sustainable development strategies. Thus, the BRI in Central Asia, particularly in Uzbekistan, can be considered a potential driver of “green” transformation, provided the principles of transparency, environmental responsibility, and balanced benefit-sharing are adhered to.

Hali tarjima qilinmagan