The eleventh session of the annual high-level political and security dialogue between the European Union (EU) and Central Asia (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan) was held in Brussels on Wednesday 5 June to discuss shared security challenges.
The EU has reaffirmed its desire to strengthen cooperation with this Asian region, which continues to face the repercussions of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, instability in Afghanistan and tensions in the Middle East.
In order to intensify this cooperation, the EU has reaffirmed its willingness to take action in key areas such as water management, energy, climate change and connectivity.
The Central Asian countries, for their part, have acknowledged the EU’s support in border management, law enforcement and the fight against drug trafficking.
Key issues such as the fight against terrorism and violent extremism, but also cybersecurity and defence against hybrid threats were addressed.
This dialogue took place in the context of increased engagement between Central Asia and the European Union, as two inter-regional meetings of Central Asian Heads of State and the President of the European Council were held on 27 October 2022 and 2 June 2023, as well as an EU-Central Asia ministerial meeting on 23 October 2023 (see EUROPE 13277/4), where the parties adopted a joint roadmap to deepen ties between the EU and Central Asia.
On this occasion, the two parties also undertook to organise the first-ever EU-Central Asia summit in 2024. (Original version in French by Pauline Denys)