Ashgabat has become the center for dialogue on deepening cooperation between Central Asia and the EU
Ashgabat, March 27th. /ORIENT/ – The 20th Ministerial Meeting "Central Asia – European Union" was held in the capital of Turkmenistan, during which the heads of foreign ministries of the region's countries and the European Union discussed a wide range of issues of multilateral partnership.
The meeting was attended by the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, the Deputy Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, and the Vice-President of the European Commission, Kaja Kallas.
The ministerial meeting provided an opportunity to assess the implementation of the five key areas of the EU-Central Asia Roadmap for Deepening Ties, adopted by the participants at their meeting in Luxembourg on October 23, 2023.
An important topic of discussion was the development of trade, economic, and investment cooperation, as well as the expansion of transport and digital connectivity within the framework of the European "Global Gateway" strategy.
The meeting addressed the partnership for the introduction of alternative energy sources and the development of a "green" economy, taking into account Turkmenistan's initiative to establish a Regional Center for Climate Change Technologies in Central Asia with its headquarters in Ashgabat.
Attention was paid to the preparation for the upcoming first EU-Central Asia Summit, which will be held on April 4th in Samarkand. The parties also exchanged views on key issues of the regional and international agenda, reaffirming their commitment to jointly addressing pressing problems.
Furthermore, the meeting participants discussed prospects for strengthening cultural and humanitarian ties, including cooperation in the fields of education and science.
The participants also took note of the upcoming 30th anniversary of Turkmenistan's permanent neutrality in 2025, emphasized the importance of further developing inter-parliamentary relations between Central Asia and the EU, and welcomed the upcoming 150th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, which will be held for the first time in Central Asia, in Uzbekistan, from April 5th to 9th, 2025, as well as the EU-Central Asia Women Leaders Forum, which will be organized in Turkmenistan in 2025.
The organization of the next EU-Central Asia Economic Forum in 2025 in Uzbekistan was also discussed. Diplomats welcomed Turkmenistan's proposal to host the subsequent Forum in 2027. The EU reaffirmed its support for the accession of the Republic of Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan to the WTO. Delegates also welcomed the readiness of European and international financial institutions to allocate 10 billion euros for the development of the Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor as a multimodal, modern, competitive, sustainable, predictable, intelligent, and efficient network that will significantly improve transport links between Central Asia and Europe.
The participants noted the importance of the upcoming Regional Climate Summit, which will be held in Astana in 2026, and the International Climate Conference in Samarkand on April 4th, 2025. The EU proposed holding the next ministerial meeting in Brussels in 2026.
The ministerial meeting concluded with the adoption of a Joint Communiqué. A forum dedicated to the International Year of Peace and Trust was held in parallel.
Bilateral negotiations between the heads of delegations took place on the sidelines of the ministerial meeting.
ORIENT