Political relations
The EU and Central Asia: A growing partnership with potential and ambition
EU-Central Asia relations date back to independence of the five countries in the early 1990s. An EU Strategy on Central Asia was first adopted in 2007 and updated in 2019.
The strategy builds on positive developments in regional cooperation. It outlines EU strategic interests in the region and proposes to forge a stronger and non-exclusive partnership with Central Asian states.
The strategy outlines three priority strands for EU engagement:
- Partnering for Resilience (human rights and democracy, security, environmental challenges)
- Partnering for Prosperity (supporting economic diversification and private sector development, promoting intra-regional trade and sustainable connectivity)
- Working Better Together
The strategy also provides guidance for EU aid programming. Over EUR 550 Million has been allocated to the Central Asia regional multiannual indicative programme 2021-2027 (MIP).
Assistance provided by the EU combined with assistance provided by EU Member States individually makes the European Union the number one donor in the region. In order to better tailor the development programmes to each country's specificities, the EU employs a differentiated approach to its assistance.
The EU's development priorities in Central Asia, in line with its joint commitment to implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), aim at meeting the increasing needs from growing and young populations and at providing economic opportunities in a region.
Regional programmes aim at supporting a broad-based process of dialogue and collaboration between the five Central Asian countries. Regional cooperation is important for connectivity, energy, the environment, climate, water and socio-economic development, including better education and research opportunities as well as competitiveness and business environment reforms.
In October 2023, the EU and Central Asia adopted a Joint Roadmap for Deepening Ties between the EU and Central Asia that sets out five key areas and 79 action points for strengthening EU-Central Asia relations through dialogue and practical cooperation.
- Deepening inter-regional political dialogue and cooperation
- Enhancing economic ties, trade and investment
- Engaging on energy, climate neutral economy, connectivity under the Global Gateway and cooperating on the European Green Deal
- Addressing common security challenges
- Strengthening people-to-people contacts and mobility
A central goal of the Joint Roadmap is to enhance connectivity, particularly through trade, investment and infrastructure projects, facilitating greater economic integration between Central Asia and the EU. It aligns with the EU's Global Gateway initiative, aiming to create sustainable and transparent infrastructure links between Europe and Central Asia. The Joint Roadmap also emphasises the promotion of the green transition, digitalisation and innovation as drivers of economic growth.
Another important pillar of the Joint Roadmap is strengthening political dialogue, human rights and governance. The EU seeks to support Central Asia's reform efforts, encouraging good governance, democratic values and respect for human rights. Regional security, particularly in relation to counter-terrorism and organised crime, is also a priority.
Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement
New-generation Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (EPCAs) provide a legal basis to strengthen the bilateral relations between the EU and the Central Asia countries. The EPCAs aim to forge a more modern and diversified partnership beyond a “trade and aid” agenda and promote cooperation and regulatory convergence in areas which are relevant to the reform processes underway in the region. The EU-Kazakhstan EPCA has been in force since 2020. The EPCA with Kyrgyzstan was signed in June 2024, while the one with Uzbekistan is moving toward signature in 2025. EPCA negotiations with Tajikistan were launched in February 2023 and have been concluded in 2024.