Abstract

The fragmentation of global supply chains, which has been intensified by great-power rivalry and sanctions, has elevated the strategic importance of transport corridors of intermediary states. In this global political economy, Kazakhstan has actively sought to position itself as a key connectivity hub that links Europe and Asia via investments in transport infrastructure and participation in trans-Eurasian corridors. While existing analyses often explain this strategy in terms of geography and logistical necessity, this paper argues that such accounts can be supplemented by the following idea. Kazakhstan’s connectivity strategy is also shaped by deliberate status-seeking behavior.

The article addresses the research question: What role does status-seeking behavior play in Kazakhstan’s efforts to position itself as a connectivity hub in emerging global supply chains? The paper conceptualizes connectivity as both a material and symbolic foreign policy instrument by building on status-seeking theory and the literature on emerging middle powers. As an aspiring middle power that is operating under material constraints, Kazakhstan uses connectivity initiatives to signal responsibility, thereby seeking international recognition as a constructive intermediary.

Methodologically, the study employs qualitative content analysis of strategic policy documents and connectivity-related initiatives. It examines how connectivity is framed in official discourse through responsibility narratives and multilateral signaling. The analysis demonstrates that material infrastructure development is consistently accompanied by symbolic and diplomatic efforts to reinforce Kazakhstan’s international standing. The paper contributes to debates on middle-power agency by showing how connectivity initiatives function as status-enhancing strategies in a fragmented global order, while remaining constrained by structural and geopolitical limitations.