EU Central Asia Strategy

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The EU Central Asia Strategy was adopted in 2007 and includes the goals, interests and approaches of the European Union in Central Asia .

history

The initiative was decided in June 2007 during the German EU Council Presidency . The office of the EU Central Asia Commissioner was created back in 2005 and was supplemented by the EU Central Asia Strategy. In 2012, as part of the cooperation between the EU and Central Asia, the so-called Berlin Declaration was made, which includes measures in the field of drinking water supply . Every two years, reports on the progress of the EU initiative in Central Asia are submitted to the Council of the European Union . In 2012, the Council ruled that the EU Central Asia Strategy had made a decisive contribution to deepening European-Central Asian relations. At the 13th EU-Central Asia Ministerial Conference on November 10, 2017 in Samarkand , a revision of the strategy until 2019 was announced.

EU interests

The main interests of the EU in Central Asia include peace and stability, as well as respect for human rights and the rule of law. These interests are of increasing importance for the EU, as the Black Sea Synergy Initiative and the European Neighborhood Policy , which also includes the Caucasus region , are also moving geographically closer to Central Asia. The EU is also particularly interested in the energy sector , where greater security of supply is to be achieved through closer cooperation with the countries of Central Asia.

Instruments of cooperation

The EU aims to deepen its cooperation with the Central Asian states through the following measures, among others:

  • regular dialogue at foreign ministerial level
  • bilateral human rights dialogues
  • Financing of projects in Central Asia through the European Investment Bank
  • Establishment of an EU rule of law initiative for Central Asia
  • regular exchange on energy policy issues
  • Cooperation with regional organizations
  • Expansion of energy and transport links between the EU and Central Asia

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