The UK has taken a significant step toward deepening its
engagement with one of the world’s most strategically important
regions, as the Eurasia Policy Council (EPC), an independent,
non-partisan think tank focused on the geopolitics, economics and
environmental security of Central Asia and the wider Eurasian
space, was officially launched at the House of Lords,
Azernews reports.
Hosted by Lord Qurban Hussain, the high-profile ceremony brought
together an audience of senior British politicians, members of both
Houses of Parliament, former diplomats, experts from Oxford, SOAS
and King’s College London, executives from the energy and
infrastructure sectors, international NGOs, and national media
representatives.
The event was marked by an unprecedented level of regional
participation, with official delegations and senior figures from
Türkiye, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan,
Tajikistan, and Iran attending — underscoring the EPC’s ambition to
become a bridge between London, Brussels and the rapidly evolving
states of Eurasia.
In his opening remarks, Lord Hussain emphasized the timeliness
of the initiative amid rising geopolitical tensions and climate
challenges.
“Eurasia stands at the crossroads of the world’s most acute
challenges – great-power competition, economic instability and the
existential threat of climate change,” he said.
“The Eurasia Policy Council offers the neutral, expert-led space
required to address these complexities with intellectual rigour,
dignity and a shared commitment to peace.”
Afzal Khan MP, a long-time advocate of closer UK–Central Asia
ties, called the launch “both timely and essential.”
“At a moment when multilateral institutions are under strain, the
EPC will help Britain and Europe forge deeper, more resilient
relationships with a region indispensable for energy security,
critical minerals and the future of the rules-based order,” he
said.
Salman Sheikh, a leading strategist on Eurasian and Middle
Eastern affairs, highlighted the growing economic potential of the
region.
“Eurasia is emerging as a hub for green energy, rare-earth elements
and new transport corridors. The EPC will promote evidence-based
partnerships that deliver inclusive growth rather than zero-sum
competition.”
Addressing environmental risks, climate-security expert Dr
Robert Hamilton warned that ecological pressures are becoming major
destabilizing forces.
“By placing climate resilience at the heart of its agenda, the EPC
is showing both courage and foresight,” he said, pointing to water
scarcity in the Amu Darya and Syr Darya basins, glacial retreat in
the Tian Shan and Pamir mountains, and the disruptive pace of the
global energy transition.
The EPC outlined four core pillars of its mission:
-
Rigorous, peer-reviewed research on geopolitical and economic
developments -
High-level diplomatic and Track-1.5 dialogue between the UK, EU
and Eurasian states -
Promotion of sustainable investment and green technology
transfer -
Building climate resilience, with a focus on water management,
renewable energy and disaster-risk reduction
Closing the event, EPC Co-Founders Raza Syed and Prof. Shabnam
Delfani stated:
“This launch marks the start of a sustained British and European
commitment to engage with Eurasia not as a distant periphery, but
as an indispensable partner in tackling shared global
challenges.”
The EPC’s first flagship report — dedicated to water security
and regional governance in Central Asia — will be published in
spring 2026, followed by its inaugural annual conference in London
next autumn.
As competition intensifies from the Black Sea to China’s western
frontier and climate pressures reshape economies across the region,
the newly established Eurasia Policy Council positions itself as a
key actor in Britain’s foreign-policy landscape, advancing
independent analysis and trusted dialogue at a critical moment.