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European Council President Charles Michel arrived in Kyrgyzstan on June 2 to attend the European Union (EU) - Central Asia Summit as Brussels seeks to strengthen ties with countries in the region.
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| President of the European Council Charles Michel. Photo: VNA |
This is Mr. Michel's second trip to Central Asia, after his trip to Kazakhstan to attend the first EU-Central Asia Summit in October 2022. The second EU-Central Asia Summit took place in Cholpon-Ata, Kyrgyzstan, with the participation of leaders from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. Meanwhile, Turkmenistan sent a delegation to attend the conference.
The focus of the conference was to deepen relations between Central Asia and the EU. Speaking to reporters, Charles Michel said Brussels wanted a “sincere” partnership with the energy-rich region. According to Michel, Brussels wants to maintain security and stability in the region; at the same time, he stressed the possibility of cooperation in the fields of technology, climate, energy, security, transport and tourism .
The conflict in Ukraine has prompted global powers such as China and the EU to seek a greater role in Central Asia, especially economically . In May, Chinese President Xi Jinping hosted a summit of China and five Central Asian countries in Xi’an, northern China. Observers say the growing East-West rivalry has created an opportunity for Central Asian countries to raise their international profile, attract new investment and demand increased security cooperation from new partners such as the EU.
The EU’s 2019 Central Asia Strategy, titled “New Opportunities for a Stronger Partnership,” includes three priority strands: resilience, prosperity and regional cooperation. Environmental issues have recently been added to the list of priorities. The EU is the leading aid provider in Central Asia.
From 2014 to 2020, EU development cooperation funding to Central Asia amounted to EUR 1.1 billion (USD 1.2 billion) in the form of grants, technical assistance and direct budget support. The EU is also the main investment partner of Central Asian countries, after the US, Russia and China.
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