The Seoul Institute of Global Affairs (SIGA) is pleased to announce the publication of a new scholarly volume titled Emerging Partners of Central Asia: Engagement of Small and Middle Powers, edited by Mehmet Fatih Oztarsu and Bongchul Kim.

The book examines the evolving geopolitical landscape of Central Asia by shifting analytical focus beyond major powers to the growing role of small and middle powers in the region. It offers a comprehensive assessment of how these actors engage with Central Asia through diplomacy, economic cooperation, security partnerships, and cultural exchange.

Published by Palgrave Macmillan in 2026, the provides in-depth case studies covering a wide range of countries, including Korea, Japan, Turkey, Iran, Israel, Azerbaijan, Georgia, India, Pakistan, Gulf states, Latin America and Southeast Asian actors. By highlighting these engagements, the book fills an important gap in the literature on Central Asian studies and international relations.

The volume brings together contributions from leading scholars, including Mehmet Fatih Oztarsu and Bongchul Kim as editors, and chapter authors Rovshan Ibrahimov, Paradorn Rangsimaporn, Nargiza Umarova, Farkhod Tolipov, Zhanat Momynkulov, Fuad Shahbazov, Kornely Kakachia, Euichan Shin, Hayann Lee, Jongho Park, and M. Cüneyt Özşahin, reflecting diverse perspectives on strategic engagement and foreign policy dynamics in Central Asia.

The volume demonstrates how emerging and middle powers pursue strategic interests in Central Asia while navigating complex regional dynamics shaped by competition, cooperation, and changing global power balances. It also sheds light on the implications of these engagements for regional stability and international politics.

Emerging Partners of Central Asia: Engagement of Small and Middle Powers is intended as a key resource for scholars, policymakers, and students interested in Eurasian geopolitics and the foreign policies of small and middle powers.

Book link: https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-032-10499-1