Central Asia has a centuries-old tradition of bringing together Europe and Asia. EU-Central Asia relations have developed significantly over recent years and the bloc’s engagement with Central Asia has expanded exponentially since the early 1990s.
In 2007, the EU adopted its first Strategy on Central Asia, which established a regular political dialogue and enhanced cooperation. The EU allocated over €1bn to development cooperation with Central Asia for the 2014- 2020 period, including €454m for regional programmes, of which €115m is earmarked for Erasmus+.
These regional programmes promote sustainable development and regional security. What has made Central Asia an increasingly important partner for the EU is its strategic location at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, as well as its share in EU energy imports and the market potential of 70 million inhabitants.
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The EU’s interest in regional security is also an important factor. In May 2019, the EU set out a fresh strategic vision for its partnership with Central Asia.
This includes investing in regional cooperation in order to move towards common rules and a more integrated regional market, and to tackle common challenges such as environmental degradation and terrorism.
We should step up our partnership with Central Asian countries, to promote peace in Afghanistan. This is very important for the whole region’s security and beyond.
"We should step up our partnership with Central Asian countries, to promote peace in Afghanistan"
Our aim is to build a strong and modern partnership between the EU and Central Asia. I believe that in future we should have a closer partnership for the stability and prosperity of the region.
Our partnership should strengthen Central Asian countries, to help them overcome internal and external challenges and to deliver successful reforms. I would also like to point out the importance of the environmental challenges we are facing.
This is why the EU should be a supporter of turning Central Asia’s environmental challenges into opportunities. The EU will continue to follow a regional approach when cooperating in the fields of environment, water and climate change.
The projects will include the training of experts, promoting integrated water resource management, reducing water waste, and modernising infrastructure, among others.
In order to promote prosperity in the region, it is crucial to develop a competitive private sector and support an open investment environment and economic modernisation. In November 2019, the EU launched three new regional programmes, supporting investments, competitiveness, rule of law and trade in Central Asia.
The EU wants to encourage the modernisation process in Central Asian countries, and as such the role of education and research will be essential. Here the Erasmus+ programme will be very important and should be strengthened.
"What has made Central Asia an increasingly important partner for the EU is its strategic location at the crossroads of Europe and Asia and the market potential of 70 million inhabitants"
Youth unemployment is another very important issue in Central Asia. To improve the situation, our partnership should foster research and innovation with a special focus on skills development in youth, aiming to decrease youth unemployment rates.
Sustainable, comprehensive and rules-based connectivity will also bring us opportunities for cooperation. The EU wants to be significant player in the process of strengthening connectivity with the region by building a partnership with Central Asia.
To develop closer trading and investment relations between the EU and Central Asia, it is important that all Central Asian countries become members of the World Trade Organization.
The establishment of a new platform – the EU Central Asia Economic Forum – was agreed in order to support intra-regional and international trade and economic cooperation. The first Economic Forum will be held in Bishkek, under the initiative of Kyrgyzstan, in the first half of 2020.
The EU is fully aware that the Central Asian region is becoming increasingly interesting for other players but is not interested in geopolitical rivalry; instead, it wants to facilitate regional cooperation with all players in order to support sustainable development, stability and security in the region.
As first vice-chair of the European Parliament’s delegation to Central Asia, I have a strong interest in creating a strong and modern partnership with Central Asia in order to promote our common future interests.