The Next Gen Silk Road: A Bold New Policy Framework for Central Asia
Washington, D.C., Jan. 21, 2026 – The New Lines Institute for Strategy and Policy’s Central Asia Center (CAC) unveils a daring new initiative to catalyze greater cooperation and unity across Central Asia. Dubbed the Silk Seven-plus (S7+) this unique policy framework outlines a phased approach to deeper regional coordination among Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, with an eye toward engaging Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, and eventually Pakistan. This notion of a Greater Central Asia aims to hasten the region’s integration into global trade networks, enabling a significant expansion of trade in manufactured goods, advanced technologies, and natural resources between the region and the United States and European Union.
“The S7+ vision can turn U.S. ambitions of widening access to Central Asia’s natural resources, including critical minerals and rare earths, into reality,” said Justin Burke, Senior Fellow at New Lines and Executive Director of Eurasianet. “It’s a win-win strategically for the United States and Central Asian nations as it strengthens the sovereignty of individual states in the region and makes them collectively a more reliable negotiating partner.”
While there is a long way to go, core Central Asian states along with Afghanistan and Pakistan are quickly realizing they have common economic interests, including the need for more efficient water resource management, a reliable electricity distribution system, lower trade barriers, robust guardrails for IT and artificial intelligence development, and a stronger educational base capable of meeting the growing demand for skilled workers and managers.
Chief Strategy Officer, Dr. Azeem Ibrahim, OBE, says, “S7+ offers the U.S. a credible strategy to anchor Central Asia in open, economic cooperation strengthening regional sovereignty while countering coercive dependence on China and Russia through connectivity, trade, and shared growth.”
Over the course of 2026, the CAC will publish a series of reports, each providing detailed analysis of a key development issue in Central Asia in need of a collective response. The reports will also offer recommendations to address existing challenges and serve as an anchor to convene multilateral discussions on practical ways to advance the concept of a Greater Central Asian diplomatic bloc.
For media inquiries, contact Rachna Mehta at [email protected]
About New Lines
New Lines Institute for Strategy and Policy is a global think tank based in Washington, D.C., working to enhance U.S. foreign policy based on a deep understanding of the geopolitics of the different regions of the world and their value systems. Funding for New Lines is provided by the Washington Institute for Education and Research, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit registered in Washington, D.C.
