The transition of power from President Karimov to his successor, Shavkat Mirzoyoyev, represents the first such transition in Uzbekistan in the post-Soviet period. This process may create opportunities for external actors to support reforms that produce economic and social benefits for Uzbekistan’s people, reduce tensions with neighboring countries, and result in the better management of scarce natural resources that are critical to the region’s future. On the other hand, there are risks that the transition of power creates domestic instability in the near- to medium-term that could in turn inflame regional tensions.