According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the 10th anniversary meeting of the Central Asia-EU High-level Dialogue on Political and Security Issues was held in Astana, capital of Kazakhstan, on the 13th.
During the meeting, participants agreed that it was in the interest of all parties to further actively develop interregional cooperation.
Central Asia plays an increasingly important role in international relations. In this regard, the participants discussed the possibility of expanding cooperation between the countries of the Central Asian region and the EU in a number of directions, including in ensuring water security and strengthening the fight against illegal migration and religious extremism.
At the same time, the meeting discussed cooperation among the parties in the context of the situation in Afghanistan and current issues on the international agenda.
The participants also discussed the results of the “Central Asia-EU” summit held in the city of Cholpon-Ata on June 2 this year and the implementation of the agreements reached during the “EU-Central Asia” economic forum, as well as other issues.
Speaking on the sidelines of the meeting, Kazakh Deputy Foreign Minister Roman Vasilenko said that Kazakhstan, Central Asia and the EU as a whole are at a completely new stage of relations.
It is believed that in the near future, cross-regional cooperation in the fields of economy, trade, investment, transportation, logistics and security will be strengthened, and political dialogue will be expanded and deepened. He said.
The head of the EU delegation said that the EU will remain a reliable partner of Central Asia.
Kazakhstan’s Deputy Foreign Minister Vasilenko noted that interregional cooperation, including within the framework of the EU Strategy for Central Asia, has been significantly restored in recent years. Over the past decade, for example, the EU has invested about €105bn in Central Asian countries. In 2022, trade between the EU and Central Asian countries increased by 61%, reaching $49 billion. Of this, the trade volume between Kazakhstan and the EU amounts to $40 billion.
In addition, he mentioned a series of concrete initiatives aimed at promoting investment and energy cooperation between Central Asian countries and the EU, and spoke of Kazakhstan’s work aimed at developing regional economic and trade cooperation.
The meeting provided participants with the opportunity to discuss priority directions for cooperation ahead of the Central Asia-EU Ministerial meeting planned for this autumn and the Central Asia-EU Leaders’ Summit in 2024.