TASHKENT, Uzbekistan. Feb 17(Gazeta.uz)European Council President António Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen are set to visit Uzbekistan on April 3-4 for the first EU-Central Asia Summit, the EU Delegation to Uzbekistan announced. The summit, chaired by Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, will also be attended by the leaders of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan. Originally scheduled for 2024, it was postponed to 2025 due to the formation of a new EU government, with Samarkand designated as the host city.
“This summit is a key opportunity for the European Union to demonstrate its geopolitical interest in deepening bilateral engagement and expanding regional cooperation with Central Asia. Amid a shifting geopolitical landscape—marked by Russia’s illegal war against Ukraine and ongoing developments in Afghanistan—EU-Central Asia relations are becoming increasingly strategic,” the EU Delegation stated.
During the summit, the EU will reaffirm its commitment to strengthening cooperation in key areas such as transport and digital connectivity within the region and with the EU, strategic raw materials, the economy and security, and the transition to clean and efficient energy sources.
“We live in a world of chaos and fragmentation, where the only viable path for the EU is to strengthen partnerships for peace and prosperity. In a multipolar world, more active and targeted engagement is essential. The first EU-Central Asia Summit will reinforce our commitment to working together for peace, security, and sustainable development, with full respect for international law,” said António Costa.
The summit follows two previous EU-Central Asia leaders’ meetings, held in Kazakhstan in October 2022 and Kyrgyzstan in June 2023, along with several ministerial meetings—the latest of which took place in Luxembourg in 2023, where a joint roadmap for deepening EU-Central Asia ties was agreed upon.
The 20th EU-Central Asia Ministerial Meeting is scheduled for March 4 in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, and will focus on summit preparations. In 2019, the EU adopted a new Strategy for Central Asia, emphasizing the region’s growing strategic importance for European interests. This updated strategy aims to foster a stronger and more inclusive partnership, making the region more resilient, prosperous, and interconnected both economically and politically.
The EU is Central Asia’s second-largest trading partner and its biggest investor, accounting for over 40% of all foreign investment in the region. To strengthen bilateral ties, the EU has signed Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreements (EPCAs) with all Central Asian countries except Turkmenistan. Notably, Uzbekistan has yet to finalize such an agreement with the EU.
