The leaders of the European Union and five Central Asian countries (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan) pledged to strengthen their partnership, which they now describe as ‘strategic’, at their first EU-Central Asia Summit in Samarkand on Friday 4 April.
“This Summit marks the beginning of a new dimension in our relations, and it will not be a one-off”, promised the President of the European Council, António Costa, in his opening address. Later, speaking to the press, he praised the partners’ “same vision” in supporting the “multilateral, rules-based international order” and fundamental UN principles, such as respect for the territorial integrity of states.
“The alternative is chaos”, warned Mr Costa.
In a joint declaration adopted at the end of the Summit, the participants announced the launch of a dialogue on the fight against terrorism, violent extremism and the resilience of society in the face of disinformation. They stressed the importance of political and economic stabilisation in Afghanistan, a neighbouring country in Central Asia. And they reaffirmed that respect for the Rule of law and fundamental freedoms (freedom of expression, independent media, respect for the rights of women and children, etc.) is a shared value.
The EU and Central Asian leaders are also calling for “a just and lasting peace in Ukraine”, in line with the principles of the United Nations Charter. They agreed to pursue cooperation aimed at limiting the circumvention of European sanctions against Russia as a result of Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine, “especially to avoid re-exports of common high priority items”.
The Europeans are convinced that the European Union can make a difference on the ground, since, according to Mr Costa, it is a “reliable” partner. “Russia has long shown that it can’t be a reliable partner any more. And the EU has proven that it is predictable, reliable and for sustainable cooperation”, said the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen.
The Europeans are also highlighting the ‘win-win’ model of cooperation that they are proposing to their Central Asian partners.
Raw materials. Ms von der Leyen took the example of raw materials, given that the countries of Central Asia account for 40% of the world’s manganese reserves. European companies have also invested €1.6 billion in copper extraction at the Almalyk mine in Uzbekistan.
Contrary to what “China and Russia” are doing, the EU is advocating “a different approach”, one that allows these raw materials to be extracted and processed locally “so that this process creates jobs in the country of origin”, said Ms von der Leyen. And she went on to add: “Together, we could build local industries right along the raw materials value chain. From mining to refining. From opening new research labs to training local workers”.
Participants at the Summit endorsed a joint declaration aimed at deepening cooperation in the field of raw materials with a view to “shared prosperity” through the establishment of secure and sustainable supply chains.
The EU has already signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on raw materials with Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.
Ms von der Leyen announced a package to mobilise EU and Member State investment worth €12 billion as part of the Global Gateway initiative. These investments will cover several sectors of activity: transport (€3 billion), raw materials (€2.5 billion), water, energy and the fight against climate change (€6.4 billion), and digital connectivity (€100 million).
Europeans attach great importance to the Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor, which aims to halve the land journey time between Europe and Central Asia by 15 days (see EUROPE 13338/13). The project has already received €10 billion from the EU.
Trade. The bilateral summit was not the occasion for any major announcements on trade relations between the EU and Central Asia, but it did provide an opportunity to reaffirm certain bilateral objectives.
The EU and Uzbekistan pledged to sign their Advanced Economic Partnership Agreement (AEPA) this year. The AEPA between the EU and Tajikistan is due to be signed in 2026. In June 2024, the EU and the Kyrgyz Republic signed an Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (see EUROPE 13440/11).
Climate. With regard to the fight against climate change, the EU and the countries of Central Asia stress the need to protect the planet through the full and effective implementation of the Paris Agreement. They say they are committed to working together to improve the situation in the Aral Sea, with a view to the IFAS Summit in Kazakhstan in 2026.
The EU also welcomes the decision of all Central Asian partners to join the global commitment to reduce methane emissions.
To see the declaration of the EU/Central Asia Summit: https://aeur.eu/f/ga2
Following on from the EU/Central Asia Summit, the first ‘International Climate Forum’ was held in Samarkand. It was an opportunity for the European Union and the five Central Asian countries to consolidate their cooperation in the face of climate and environmental challenges.
“The region’s water supply has fallen to a quarter of what it was 50 years ago. (...) This ‘Forum’ marks our desire to respond together to this reality”, declared Ms von der Leyen. The latter recalled the EU’s commitment to adaptation and energy transition projects, in particular the Rogun (Tajikistan) and Kambarata (Kyrgyzstan) dams, designed to “produce clean energy for the region, electrify transport corridors and generate green hydrogen”.
The President of the European Council, António Costa, described climate change, the loss of biodiversity and pollution as “factors of political and economic instability”, and described the energy transition underway in the region as a “global turning point in which the EU wants to be a partner and ally”.
Several UN agencies also stressed the need for regional coordination. Tatiana Molcean (UNECE) welcomed Uzbekistan’s accession to the Aarhus Convention and pointed out that “connectivity and growth cannot be achieved without ambitious climate action”.
The Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Director of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme, Anacláudia Rossbach, called for “urban adaptation to be integrated today”, in a region where 50% of the population already lives in cities. EBRD President Odile Renaud-Basso announced support for Central Asia’s first green hydrogen plant, pointing out that “61%” of the Bank’s investments are now geared towards the climate.
The Regional Green Development Concept, which is one of the challenges of the ‘Forum’, is expected to structure this regional cooperation on climate issues, with the support of the EU and the United Nations. (Original version in French by Mathieu Bion, Nithya Paquiry and Léa Marchal)