Luxembourg, 29/10/2001 (Agence Europe) - On the eve of the mission that EU Council President Louis Michel is to conduct from Tuesday in Central Asia, the High Representative for CFSP, Javier Solana, proposed that the Fifteen review EU policy towards the countries of the region (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan).
In the working document that he presented to the General Affairs Council on Monday in Luxembourg, Mr Solana notes that the strategic implications of the crisis generated by the attacks on 11 September call for re-assessment of EU policy towards the countries of Central Asia. He notes that these countries have always been considered through the prism of the former Soviet Union. The terrorist attacks of 11 September and the following military intervention in Afghanistan have highlighted the strategic importance of these countries in the more general Asian context also - from a political, ethnic, religious and social standpoint. Events have also highlighted the fact that the problems of the region could have a more direct impact on our own interests, he notes, before proposing to draw the consequences by adopting a policy that not only takes traditional interests into account, which are "limited in the long-term", but also "urgent short and medium-term" interests. Among the traditional interests, the paper cites: - preventing the region from becoming a centre of extremism and terrorism; - encouraging democratic reforms and the respect of human rights; - preventing drugs trafficking and the transit of arms across the region and fighting against illegal immigration; - encouraging economic development through integration in the world economy; - and contributing to the development and exploitation of energy reserves in the region. He mentions four short and medium term interests to: (1) safeguard political and practical support for the world coalition against terrorism; (2) obtain cooperation to provide humanitarian aid to Afghanistan; (3) avoid contagion of Afghan instability; (4) and to provide support for the post-Taliban regime. In the longer term, the EU is also expected to reflect upon how to meet the development needs of these countries, states the paper, going on to say that, so far, the countries of the region have been treated as transition economies and instruments have been developed in consequence. It is now clear, it states, that their needs go further than this, as it is among the poor and the dispossessed that terrorists find the most fertile soil. Given the growing poverty of Central Asia and the worsening situation of health care and education, the document states efforts should perhaps also be directed to these areas, after the fashion of what is being done in Afghanistan and Pakistan. This, however, highlights the more general question of the need to strike a balance between our objectives to be reached in the region and the instruments available to us.
On a very realistic note, the document stresses it is clear that the EU's interests will remain relatively limited compared to those of other regional powers, and Russia in particular which has precious and detailed strategic knowledge thanks to its close ties with the countries of Central Asia. This is also a factor that contributes to stability in the region. He went on to say that, in so far as the EU's interests coincide with those of other major powers, we should be ready to cooperate with the latter by placing all available means at the disposal of our common objectives. However, he says, we should not be under any illusion, not only about our influence in the region, which is limited, but also, which is very important, about the means available to us to support our objectives, which are no less limited. Consequently, Mr Solana urges for: - strengthened dialogue with these countries through traditional mechanisms and innovative mechanisms for more political contacts, mainly in the case of Tajikistan and Turkmenistan, with which the EU has not concluded partnership and cooperation agreements; - the promotion of regional cooperation, mainly by proposing support to bodies like the Economic Union of Central Asia or the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (in which Russia and China participate); - support to the OSCE, which must be encouraged to play a more active role in the region, and the development of consultation, mainly with the United States, Russia and China, but without neglecting the considerable influence that Turkey has on some Central Asian countries.