Radio Liberty says that according to a draft document for the meeting seen by it, the European Union eyes new trade and infrastructure investments while aiming to significantly elevate Brussels’ ties with the Central Asian region, according to a draft document for the meeting seen by RFE/RL.
“Reaffirming our commitment to deeper cooperation in an evolving global and regional geopolitical landscape, we have decided to upgrade relations between the European Union and Central Asia to a strategic partnership,” states a draft EU version of the joint declaration for the April 3-4 summit’s intended outcomes.
Beyond strengthening political ties between Brussels and Central Asia, the draft document — which could still be subject to change – reportedly outlines deepening the EU’s partnership with the region through enhanced cooperation on water management, critical minerals, and a focus on digital connectivity.
The EU reportedly also calls for a greater focus on trade and investment and lumping the array of proposed initiatives for Central Asia under the Global Gateway — the EU’s infrastructure partnership plan launched in 2021 that’s seen as an alternative to China’s worldwide Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
The summit is something of a watershed moment for the EU as it aims to boost its regional standing at a time when Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has shifted the geopolitical balance in Central Asia and China’s economic expansion has left the region more integrated with Beijing.
But analysts say that there are still questions in the region about the EU’s interest in Central Asia.
“Central Asia wants a bigger EU presence, but the region’s leaders don’t have high expectations,” Temur Umarov, a fellow at the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center in Berlin, told Radio Liberty in an interview.
“So far, the EU hasn’t put enough money on the table to make them think that Europe can be this third player that allows Central Asia to rely less on Russia and China,” he said.
