EU strengthens cooperation with Central Asian states

Samarkand (dpa) – The EU will work more closely with Central Asian states in the future. At a summit in the Uzbek city of Samarkand, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and EU Council President António Costa decided with the presidents of five Central Asian states to strengthen cooperation in the areas of economy, trade, and investment. This is to take place as part of a new “strategic partnership.” In addition to Uzbekistan, the countries involved are Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan.

The EU announced an investment program amounting to twelve billion euros for the region. The money comes from the so-called “Global Gateway” initiative. Over the next few years, up to 300 billion euros are to be invested in the infrastructure of emerging and developing countries – also to secure more global influence for the EU. 

Other countries in the region are also active

The partnership means that one can rely on each other, and that is “more important than ever in today’s world,” said von der Leyen. Russia has long shown that it is not a reliable partner, and it has also been demonstrated what it means to work with China “when the conditions are not clear and China buys up critical raw materials and processes them further in China.” For the EU, it is important to invest on the ground. (April 4)