March 2020 - March 2021
Study of the opportunities and prospects of the EU's co-operation with Central Asian countries in the light of the implementation of the new strategy in the region
Kazakhstan
The private institution "Center for Topical Research "Alternativa"
The private institution "Center for Topical Research "Alternativa"
On 17 June 2019, the Council of the European Union adopted a new EU Strategy for Central Asia. Its main outlines are presented in the Joint Communiqué of the European Commission and the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy "The European Union and Central Asia: New Opportunities for Strengthening Partnership".
The new strategy aims at ensuring sustainability, prosperity and regional co-operation in Central Asia. The importance of this document is primarily due to the fact that, despite its geographical remoteness, the European Union has shown great interest in Central Asia and is endeavouring to provide some assistance to its development. It is actively using both bilateral and multilateral formats of co-operation with the countries of the region.
Given the ambiguous processes in world politics that have been taking place since the launch of the first European strategy in Central Asia and that have had a varying degree of influence on the nature, format and results of the EU's multifaceted engagement with the countries of the region, this interaction has become one of the most important subjects of research and discussion among Central Asian and foreign experts.
The new strategy aims at ensuring sustainability, prosperity and regional co-operation in Central Asia. The importance of this document is primarily due to the fact that, despite its geographical remoteness, the European Union has shown great interest in Central Asia and is endeavouring to provide some assistance to its development. It is actively using both bilateral and multilateral formats of co-operation with the countries of the region.
Given the ambiguous processes in world politics that have been taking place since the launch of the first European strategy in Central Asia and that have had a varying degree of influence on the nature, format and results of the EU's multifaceted engagement with the countries of the region, this interaction has become one of the most important subjects of research and discussion among Central Asian and foreign experts.
Project aim:
To obtain the most objective assessments as to the possibilities and prospects of the European Union's co-operation with the Central Asian countries in the process of implementing its new strategy in the region.
Project objectives:
- To intensify discussion of the issues of increasing the role of Central Asia as a subject of international relations on a professional basis;
- To promote co-operation of the countries of the region among themselves and with the European Union;
- To make practical recommendations.
Main activities within the project:
- Conducting a series of expert interviews on the researched subject with representatives of the expert community from Kazakhstan and other Central Asian countries (12 experts);
- Writing and publishing a monograph "The European Union and Central Asian Countries: Opportunities and Prospects for Co-operation in the Light of the New Strategy";
- Organisation and holding of an international conference on cooperation between the European Union and Central Asian countries with the presentation of the book.
The project is implemented by the private institution "Center for Topical Research "Alternativa" with the financial support of the Representative Office of the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation in Central Asia.