Impact of the Changing Vector of the Energy Policy of Central Asia Countries on Safety and Stability in the Region

The article is devoted to the changes in the foreign energy policy of the key Central Asian states in the context of the global energy crisis. The author focuses on the relationship between hydrocarbon rent, regime stability and new foreign policy strategies of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. The article concludes about the influence of the changing vector of the energy policy of the Central Asian republics on regional security caused by the change in key external partners. According to the author, this is due to the merging of the top management of hydrocarbon companies with pro-government actors, which leads to structural, political and economic distortions that are not easy to eliminate, even in the context of the current oil crisis and the exacerbation of social and crisis phenomena caused by the coronavirus pandemic.