July 2011
Where East Meets West:
The EU and Central Asia
For thousands of years, the ancient Silk Road
trade routes beckoned to travelers—whether
merchants or nomads, missionaries or soldiers—leading them from eastern, southern,
and western Asia to the Mediterranean, northern Africa, and Europe. Today, the five countries of Central Asia continue to represent the
cultural, economic, and political crossroads of
Asia and Europe.
Because of its special geographic significance
(the region borders China, Russia, Afghanistan, and Iran), as well as its rich but largely
untapped natural resources, Central Asia is
of particular strategic importance in terms of
security and stability. Sectors including trade,
energy, transport, and education are also vital
to the region’s progress.
Bilateral Relations. The EU has established
Partnership and Cooperation Agreements
(PCA) with each country, which encompass political dialogue, trade, economic relations, and
cooperation in a variety of sectors, including
energy, the environment, transport, security,
and education. The PCA with Turkmenistan is
not yet in force, but an Interim Trade Agreement governs trade relations between the two
partners.
In late 2008, the EU launched a Rule of Law Initiative for Central Asia to address common regional challenges including the development of
the judicial system, law enforcement, modernization of commercial legislation, and accountability. Projects reinforce cooperation between
Central Asia
Security. The European Union is committed to
addressing the major security challenges in the
region, including international trafficking in
drugs, weapons, and people.
RUSSIA
Following the break-up of the Soviet Union,
Central Asia has experienced a marked increase in cross-border crime, and effective
border control is vital to its security. In 2002,
the EU launched the Border Management Assistance Program to help build local capacity
and skills and promote gradual institutional reform through training and the sharing of best
practices.
Kazakhstan
Aral
Sea
Caspian
Uzbekistan
Kyrgyzstan
Sea
The EU and the countries of Central Asia also
work together to combat terrorism and extremism, and are committed to nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament through the creation
of a nuclear-weapons-free zone in Central Asia.
Stability and Development. In the long term,
the political stability and economic development of the region will depend largely on respect for human rights, the rule of law, and good
governance. The EU holds regular and specific
human rights dialogues with each of the Central Asian countries to address human rights
constitutional courts, provide legal training,
and implement legal guarantees for those accused in court.
concerns ranging from fundamental rights
such as the freedoms of expression, the press,
and religion, to the right to justice through a
functional judicial system; these political interactions are supported by concrete financial
and technical cooperation assistance through
projects funded by the European Instrument
for Human Rights and Democracy.
CHINA
Turkmenistan
Tajikistan
PAKISTAN
IRAN
AFGHANISTAN
Countries: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan,Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan
Total Area:
1.6 million square miles
Total Population: 61.9 million (2011 estimate, CIA World Factbook)
Total GDP: $345.9 billion (2010, CIA World Factbook, purchasing power parity)
Refurbishing the Ancient Silk Road:
Sector by Sector
Through both financial support and technical
expertise, the EU is contributing to the refurbishment of the Central Asian portion of the old
Silk Road by helping countries in the region optimize their energy resources and energy export
potential; upgrade their energy, trade, and transportation infrastructure; raise educational standards; and take advantage of a modern digital
e-highway to foster two-way research and communication between Europe and Central Asia.
Energy. The Central Asian states, particularly
Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, are
rich in energy resources, and the region plays an
important role in the EU’s strategy for diversifying energy sources and supply routes.
As energy consumers, producers, and transit
states, the EU and Central Asia share a mutual interest in ensuring a stable and predictable
framework for the flow of energy, both by mod-
On the Web
n EU and Central Asia
http://eeas.europa.eu/central_asia
n EU Trade with Central Asia
http://ec.europa.eu/trade/creating-
opportunities/bilateral-relations/
regions/central-asia
EU Insight is published by the
Delegation of the European Union
to the United States.
Silvia Kofler
Head of Press and
Public Diplomacy
Editor-in-Chief
Stacy Hope
Editor
Melinda Stevenson
Writer & Assistant Editor
ernizing existing energy infrastructures and by
establishing new ones. Cooperation revolves
around promoting sustainable development of
energy resources; diversifying energy supply
routes; exchanging know-how; and developing
and using new energy sources, particularly renewable technologies.
Regionally, projects supported by the EU’s
INOGATE program for energy cooperation
address energy market convergence—better
aligning technical standards and practices, particularly for gas and oil; promoting sustainable
energy—including through efficiency and renewable technologies; enhancing energy security; and attracting energy investments.
Memoranda of Understanding on energy cooperation with Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and
Uzbekistan open up the possibility of strategic
bilateral energy partnerships that foster energy
security and industrial cooperation, the development of the energy sector, and an improved
investment climate.
Trade. The EU is the region’s main trading partner, and trade relations between four of the five
Central Asian nations (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan,
Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan) are governed by
Partnership and Cooperation Agreements designed to foster trade and improve the region’s
market access through progressive alignment
with EU regulatory practices.
Pending ratification of a Partnership and Cooperation agreement, Turkmenistan’s trade relations with the EU are governed by the Interim
Trade Agreement in force since 2010.
Transport. The ancient Silk Road represented
one of the most modern transportation options
of its time, and in today’s globalized era, the region is once again pursuing an improved transport infrastructure as key to fostering trade and
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The EU’s Transport Corridor Europe Caucasus
Asia program, known as TRACECA, is designed
to foster integration of the region’s transport
networks and markets to conform to EU and
international legal and regulatory standards.
TRACECA is an east-west transport corridor
stretching from Central Asia to Europe via the
Caspian and Black Seas, covering road, rail, and
maritime connections. Its 13 member countries,
which include all Central Asian nations except
Turkmenistan, work together to develop efficient and reliable Euro-Asian transport links,
and promote the regional economy as a whole.
Education. The majority of the Central Asian
population is below the age of 25, and a key
component of the EU’s strategy to consolidate
stability and prosperity in the region is the improvement of educational standards in higher
education and vocational training.
Since 1995, the Tempus program has helped
train a new generation of academics and managers in Central Asia to support the reforms necessary for the modernization of the higher education system. New curricula—including some
joint degrees with EU universities—are being
developed in a wide range of disciplines, bringing modern teaching and learning methodologies in line with Europe’s Bologna Process.
Erasmus Mundus provides funding for students
and academics who wish to study at institutions
of higher education in the EU, and the Central
Asia Research and Education Network—
CAREN—is a majority-EU funded project designed to upgrade the ancient Silk Road to a
21st century high-speed internet highway for
research and education. Through CAREN, researchers, academics, and students now have
access to unparalleled opportunities to play a
major role in international research.
EU Trade with Central Asian Countries
ISSN: 1830-5059
Catalogue No: IQ-AB-11-06-EN-C
regional development.
Kazakhstan
Percentage of overall
imports originating from
the EU
Percentage of overall
exports bound for
the EU
Percentage of overall
trade represented by EU
imports and exports
19.9%
35.1%
28.6%
Kyrgyz Republic
4.2%
1.9%
3.9%
Tajikistan
5.3%
5.7%
5.4%
Turkmenistan
16.7%
14.1%
15.8%
Uzbekistan
21.0%
8.0%
16.2%
Source: European Commission, DG Trade
Issue No.54, July 2011
For more information: www.eurunion.org/euinsight