Brussels, 08/06/2007 (Agence Europe) - “The time has come for a new partnership between the EU and Central Asian states in a globalised world”, announces the text to be adopted by the European Council in June, founding the new European strategy in that region. Looking eastward, the German EU presidency has thus made Central Asia a priority of its mandate. In the hope that political and economic cooperation can be heightened with Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, the EU is seeking to gain a foothold in a region that is rich in energy resources, and where Americans, Russians and Chinese are already present. The scope of partnership is, however, broader and mainly covers the democratisation of Central Asian countries, whose human rights defence organisations denounce pitiful results in this area. The text, which has still to be endorsed by foreign ministers before being passed on to the heads of state and government, underlines the EU's strong commitment to its Central Asian neighbours which brings the EU and Asia closer to each other. The EU also has an interest in security and stability because strategic, political and economic developments in Central Asia impact directly or indirectly on EU interests, and because of the significant energy resources to be found there. “The development and consolidation of stable, just and open societies, adhering to international norms, is essential”, the new partnership stresses, setting out a strategy that combines a regional dimension with five bilateral approaches. Initiatives pertain to:
a) Human rights, rule of law, good governance and democratisation. The EU and its member states intend to step up support for the protection of human rights and for the creation and development of an independent judiciary (with an initiative on rule of law also foreseen to back reforms). A structured, regular human rights dialogue will be set in place with each Central Asian country, but the form and the modalities of such dialogue will be defined individually at a later stage. The objectives of a human rights dialogue should include: discussing questions of mutual interest and enhancing cooperation within international bodies such as the United Nations and the OSCE, as well as raising the concerns felt by the EU as regards the human rights situation in the countries concerned, information gathering and initiatives to improve the relevant human rights situation. The EU is also adamant about media independence and exchanges within the civil society, but no specific initiative is foreseen.
b) Education. Focusing on the adaptation of the education systems of Central Asia to the needs of the globalised world, the EU and member states suggest setting up a European Education Initiative for Central Asia to develop regional education centres in the region and provide scholarships for students from Central Asian countries to European universities.
c) Promotion of economic development, trade and investment. The EU supports the removal of trade barriers between the Central Asian states and it will continue to support WTO accession for the four Central Asian states which are not yet WTO members (only the Kyrgyz Republic being a member). Europeans want to promote the creation of regulatory and institutional frameworks for an improved business and investment environment and provide further support for economic diversification (mainly through the new generalised system of preferences 2006-2015). The development and expansion of regional transport infrastructure, energy and trade, as well as economic structures (through public-private partnerships and assistance programmes) is also foreseen.
d) Energy and transport. “The EU and Central Asia share a paramount interest in enhancing energy security” and have a common interest in diversifying export routes, demand and supply structures and energy sources. Water management is a decisive aspect of energy cooperation and, the document points out, the potential of hydro-power production and distribution has not been sufficiently exploited to date. Increasing oil and gas exploitation will contribute to better world market supplies and the EU will support the prospection of new gas, oil and hydraulic resources. “The key elements for a long-term partnership based on common interests and reciprocity can therefore be established in the years to come”, Europeans say, calling for investment in energy equipment in Central Asia (the developing of additional pipelines and transport networks). The EU is willing to envisage all operations for the development and transportation of these resources, in cooperation with other interested partners. More generally, the EU hopes to hold regular energy dialogue with the countries of Central Asia and promote the creation of an integrated energy market there. Its activities will be based on the Energy Charter and on bilateral protocols of agreement.
e) Environmental sustainability and water. The allocation, use and protection of the quality of water resources are major challenges for Central Asia. The region is connected through cross-boundary rivers, lakes and seas, and an integrated regional approach to these resources is therefore essential. EU-Central Asia dialogue on the environment was launched in spring 2006 and will provide the basis for joint cooperation efforts.
f) Combating common threats and challenges. Border management is decisive when it comes to combating crime in the region, especially international drug trafficking. Assistance in fighting organised crime is a priority for the EU, which hopes to contribute to the modernisation of border controls in the region, including those with Afghanistan. It will also provide assistance for more balanced management of migration.
g) Inter-cultural dialogue. The EU intends to promote dialogue within the civil society and respect for freedom of religion.
On all the above questions, several cooperation instruments are available (cooperation partnership agreements, Commission or member states' programmes, public-private partnership initiatives, twinning between personnel of public administrations or companies, etc). The EU also hopes to establish new programmes (regular bilateral dialogue on human rights) or strengthen the role of the European Investment Bank (EIB) in the financing of projects in which the EU has a particular interest. The Union hopes to open Commission delegations in each of the five countries and the member states will also envisage extending their networks of embassies to the region. The EU Council will give a first report on progress made in the implementation of this strategy by June 2008, and at least every two years thereafter. (ab)