Abstract

The Eurasian super continent, the world’s largest contiguous landmass, has been under the world focus as a dynamic economic region in contemporary era. Eurasian continent is divided into three significant regions i.e. heartland, Island and Rimland by various strategists/geographers. The heartland consists of Central Asia and Central Russia, Island consists of West Asia while the Rimland comprises of coastal areas from Europe, West Asia, South Asia to South China Sea and East China Sea in the Pacific Ocean. The three regions of Eurasia are significant in terms of resource base and geographical location linking the entire Eurasian space through cross border connectivity infrastructure and oceanic trade and logistic corridors. Russia had old plans to access South Asia and Indian Ocean via Central Asia, Afghanistan and Pakistan while Russia-Ukraine conflict has necessitated this opening for Russia. Russia has developed its own strategy for Eurasian integration under the Greater Eurasian Partnership and Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU). China under the Silk Road Economic Belt and Maritime Silk Road (BRI) has been developing cross border hard infrastructure to efficiently integrate the Eurasian space. Central Asian region occupies heart of Eurasia and links Asian, African and European continents while all the overland Eurasian trade and logistic corridors pass and re-pass through Central Asia. Central Asian Republics (CARs) have developed regional cooperation for smooth border crossings, revived the Heads of Governments Council and aim to develop multiple and multi dimensional trade and logistic corridors linking the Asian, African and European continents to become a land-linked region. The European Union has also focused on developing the trans-Caspian Middle Corridor to link Caucasia and Central Asia. Pakistan under the policy ‘Vision Central Asia’ aims to develop Pakistan-Afghanistan-Central Asia Corridor to link Central and South Asia as well as to link east-west Eurasian trade and logistic corridors with trans-oceanic corridors in north-south direction through China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). In this context this particular research work aims to answer the main question that how the roles and strategies of Central Asian Republics, Russia, China and Pakistan shaping the Eurasian Integration? Methodology has been qualitative in nature by analyzing, interpreting and re-interpreting the relevant secondary sources to achieve research aim. I have already published research articles on the subject matter in peer review journals of Kazakhstan, Russia, USA, Turkiye and Pakistan available online.