erj Eurasian Research Journal 2519-2442 2519-2442 Khoja Akhmet Yassawi International Kazakh-Turkish University Politics in International Relations Uluslararası İlişkilerde Siyaset NATIONAL MODELS OF ETHNOPOLITICS IN KAZAKHSTAN AND UZBEKISTAN: INSTITUTIONAL DIFFERENCES AND BILATERAL DIMENSION https://orcid.org/0009-0005-8199-4506 Pulatov Sherzod L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3773-9442 Nazarov Ravshan Tashkent Branch of Plekhanov Russian University of Economics https://orcid.org/0009-0007-5418-4430 Yelmurzayeva Raushan L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2408-2923 Nurmukhametova Karlygash Almaty Technological University 05 01 2026 8 2 140 162 02 12 2026 04 13 2026 Copyright © 2019, Eurasian Research Journal 2019 Eurasian Research Journal

This article provides a comparative institutional analysis of national ethnopolitical models in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan within the context of bilateral interaction. The empirical framework draws on legal documents, official statistics on ethnic composition and settlement patterns, and data on ethnocultural and educational infrastructure. The findings reveal that, despite similar multiethnic structures, the two countries diverge in their institutional logic of ethnic inclusion. Kazakhstan demonstrates a more formalized and representative model, while Uzbekistan relies on centralized administrative coordination and cultural integration. The study identifies three stages in the evolution of Kazakh–Uzbek relations, emphasizing the post-2017 phase marked by intensified institutionalization of humanitarian and ethnocultural cooperation. Attention is paid to the role of cross-border ethnic communities and humanitarian initiatives in mitigating latent conflict risks. The results contribute to understanding how institutional design shapes interethnic stability and offer practical insights for enhancing interethnic harmony and bilateral cooperation in Central Asia.

 Ethnopolitics National model Institutional analysis Kazakhstan- Uzbekistan relations Central Asia. Albogachieva, M., & Kemper, M. (2024). After deportation: Chechen and Ingush Sufi groups and their zikr rituals in Soviet Kazakhstan. Asiatische Studien – Études Asiatiques, 78(2), 247–266. https://doi.org/10.1515/asia-2023-0031 Almond, G. A., & Verba, S. (1963). The civic culture: Political attitudes and democracy in five nations. Princeton University Press. Bercovitch, J., & Jackson, R. (2009). Conflict resolution in the twenty-first century: Principles, methods, and approaches. University of Michigan Press. Berry, J. W. (1997). Immigration, acculturation, and adaptation. Applied Psychology, 46(1), 5–34. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1464-0597.1997.tb01087.x Bureau of National Statistics of the Republic of Kazakhstan. (2026). Ethnic composition of the population. https://stat.gov.kz/en/industries/social-statistics/demography/publications/337150/ Constitution of the Republic of Kazakhstan. (2026). Adopted by national referendum (with amendments and additions as of 2026). Adilet Legal Information System. https://adilet.zan.kz/eng/docs/K950001000 _ Constitution of the Republic of Uzbekistan. (2023). Adopted at the eleventh session of the Supreme Council of the Republic of Uzbekistan (with amendments and additions). National Database of Legislation of the Republic of Uzbekistan (Lex.uz). https://lex.uz/en/docs/6451070 Cornell, S. E. (2025). Is Central Asia stable? Conflict risks and drivers of instability. Central Asia-Caucasus Institute & Silk Road Studies Program. https://www.silkroadstudies.org/resources/2505-Instab-final_merged.pdf Dadabaev, T. (2013). Community life, memory and a changing nature of mahalla identity in Uzbekistan. Journal of Eurasian Studies, 4(2), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.euras.2013.03.008 Daminov, I. (2020). Reassessing classification of Kazakhstan’s ethnic management model: A comparative approach. Journal of Eurasian Studies, 11(2), 133–143. https://doi.org/10.1177/1879366520925337 Daminov, I. (2021). Kazakhstan’s ethnic policy 1991–2021: What needs to change? CABAR – Central Asian Bureau for Analytical Reporting. https://cabar.asia/en/author/ildardaminov Dave, B. (2007). Kazakhstan: Ethnicity, language and power. Routledge. Ilkhamov, A. (2007). Neopatrimonialism, interest groups and patronage networks: The impasses of the governance system in Uzbekistan. Central Asian Survey, 26(1), 65–84. https://doi.org/10.1080/02634930701423491 Isaacs, R., & Polese, A. (2015). Between "imagined" and "real" nation-building: Identities and nationhood in post-Soviet Central Asia. Nationalities Papers, 43(3), 371–382. https://doi.org/10.1080/00905992.2014.998191 Kandiyoti, D. (2007). Post-Soviet institutional design and the paradoxes of the "Uzbek path." Central Asian Survey, 26(1), 31–48. https://doi.org/10.1080/02634930701423426 Kapain, A., Kulbayeva, A., Manapova, S., & Shimayeva, S. (2024). A comparative analysis of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan’s cultural diplomacy on the New Silk Road. Public Administration and Civil Service, 91(4), 203–212. https://doi.org/10.52123/1994-2370-2024-1267 Kappassova, G. M. (2018). Migration policy of the regions of the Republic of Kazakhstan: Socio-political mechanisms of easing the interethnic tension. Space and Culture, India, 5(3), 60–88. https://doi.org/10.20896/saci.v5i3.279 Khomitov, R. (2024). On the issue of the ethnic history of the Central Asian countries (in the case of Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan). Qazaqtanu Journal, 2, 55–67. Kolstø, P. (2019). Nation-building and nationalism in post-Soviet states. Routledge. Laitin, D. D. (2007). Nations, states, and violence. Oxford University Press. Laruelle, M. (2015). The "return" of Islam in Central Asia: State policies and public perceptions. Central Asian Affairs, 2(3), 253–280. https://doi.org/10.1163/22142290-00203003 Ministry of Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan. (2023). Letter of the Chairman of the Committee of Secondary Education K. Zhumashev No. 3880-15-8523/15 dated October 24, 2023, in response to the request of the Association of Uzbek Ethnocultural Organizations "Dustlik" (No. 90/I dated August 2, 2023). Official correspondence. Minority Rights Group International. (2023). Uzbekistan – Country profile. https://minorityrights.org/country/uzbekistan/ Moore, C. W. (2014). The mediation process: Practical strategies for resolving conflict (4th ed.). Jossey-Bass. National Statistics Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan. (2026a). Population by nationality. https://stat.uz/en/official-statistics/demography National Statistics Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan. (2026b). How many educational institutions in Uzbekistan with the Kazakh language of instruction? https://stat.uz/en/press-center/news-of-committee/32484-o-zbekistonda-qozoq-tilida-ta-lim-beriladigan-umumta-lim-muassasalari-soni-qancha-3 North, D. C. (1990). Institutions, institutional change and economic performance. Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511808678 Nuriddinov, U. (2022). Bilateral cooperation between Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan: Will the dynamics continue? CABAR – Central Asian Bureau for Analytical Reporting. https://cabar.asia/en/bilateral-cooperation-between-uzbekistan-and-kazakhstan-will-the-dynamics-continue Peters, B. G. (2019). Institutional theory in political science: The new institutionalism (4th ed.). Edward Elgar Publishing. Presidential Decree No. 1144 of the Republic of Kazakhstan. (2025). On approval of the Concept for the Development of the Assembly of People of Kazakhstan until 2030 "Unity in Diversity." Adilet Legal Information System. https://adilet.zan.kz/rus/docs/U2500001144 Sadvokassova, A., Tokbergenova, A., Omarov, B., & Zhumabek, B. (2026). Political integration of ethnic minorities in post-Soviet Central Asia. Frontiers in Political Science, 7, 1710013. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpos.2025.1710013 Sadvokassova, A., Sharipova, D., & Burkhanov, A. (2026). Building a nation: Exploring ethnic minorities’ perceptions and attitudes in Kazakhstan. Nationalities Papers, 1–19. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1017/nps.2025.10113 Schatz, E. (2004). Modern clan politics: The power of "blood" in Kazakhstan and beyond. University of Washington Press. Serikzhanova, A., & Nurtazina, R. (2024). Evolving political cultures in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan. Journal of Ethnic and Cultural Studies, 11(3), 1–24. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejecs/1914 Terzyan, A. (2021). Minority rights in Central Asia: Insights from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan. Journal of Liberty and International Affairs, 7(2), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.47305/JLIA21720103t Tsyryapkina, Y. (2023). Russians in the Republic of Uzbekistan: Demography, identity, and social dynamics. Science Journal of VolSU. History. Area Studies. International Relations, 28(4), 178–190. https://doi.org/10.15688/jvolsu4.2023.4.14 Urinboyev, R., & Eraliev, S. (2022). Informal civil society initiatives in non-Western societies: Mahallas in Uzbekistan. Central Asian Survey, 41(3), 477–497. https://doi.org/10.1080/02634937.2022.2058915 Urpekova, A. (2022). Building the bonds: A comparison of diaspora engagement policies in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. Turkish Journal of Diaspora Studies, 2(1), 41–54. https://doi.org/10.52241/TJDS.2022.0034