Abstract
Abstract This study explores the applicability of cross-border cooperation ( CBC ) experiences from the European Union and North America (the U.S., Canada, and Mexico) to Kazakhstan’s border relations with neighboring Central Asian countries (Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan). It argues that the authoritarian and centralized governance typical of Central Asia, combined with limited fiscal capacity, restricts the direct transfer of Western CBC templates—particularly region- and private-actor—driven cross-border region-building and politically salient NGO activism, which may be perceived as threats to regime stability, separatism, or foreign influence. These constraints, however, do not make Western experience irrelevant. The study identifies a set of adaptable cooperation strategies, provided two framing conditions are met: the depoliticization of the agenda and meaningful participation of central authorities in cross-border arrangements. The strategies include creating formalized, treaty-based cross-border bodies with legal personality to implement joint decisions; promoting centrally endorsed mesoregionalism that pools capabilities of adjacent border territories while keeping governance vertically integrated; adopting consultative and depoliticized forms of cross-border regionalism; institutionalizing multi-stakeholder dialogue platforms to coordinate border-management policies and reduce transaction costs; and introducing competitive funding for cross-border initiatives.