Central Asia

Based on their strategic and geopolitical situation, their vicinity to Afghanistan, as well as increasingly important questions of energy and security, the five Central Asian countries (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan) have become more and more important for the European Union. The region is faced with a number of problems, such as fundamentalism, terrorism, drug or human trafficking. Additional difficulties represent the fight against poverty, regional water management and democratization. 

At the European Council of 22 June 2007 the EU’s Heads of State and Government adopted the EU-Central Asia Strategy. This strategy serves as a framework for the EU’s relations with Central Asia especially in the field of human rights, democracy, rule of law, good governance, education, economic development, trade and investments, energy and transport, environment and water, migration and intercultural dialogue. 

The EU-Central Asia Strategy has a two-pronged approach, i.e. a regional as well as an individual approach. On the one hand, the Strategy sets out areas of co-operation for the entire Central Asia region. On the other hand the implementation is adapted to the needs and the performances of each individual country. To this end, a specific priority paper has been elaborated for each of the five countries and is up-dated on an annual basis. The EU’ financial assistance for the entire region from 2007 to 2013 amounts to € 750 million.

In June 2010 the Council and the European Commission submitted a progress report on the EU-Central Asia Strategy to the European Council. The report stated that the relations between the EU and Central Asia had considerably increased within the Strategy’s first four years. At the same time, already existing representations in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, which had been hitherto subordinate to the delegation of the European Commission in Astana, became independent EU-delegations. Today, human rights dialogues exist with the five Central Asian countries.

On 07 April 2011 a Ministerial Meeting of the EU Central Asia Strategy took place in Tashkent. The Special Representative’s mandate, currently held by Pierre Morel, was prolonged until June 2012.

Austria – like other member states of the EU – has become increasingly interested in the region. This led to the opening of an Embassy in Astana in the year 2007. The Embassy represents Austria not only in Kazakhstan but also vis-à-vis Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan. The Austrian Embassy for Uzbekistan is located in Vienna.

From 8 to 9 June 2011, the World Economic Forum on Europe and Central Asia took place in Vienna.