EU strategy on Central Asia
TA-9-2024-0027 · P9_TA(2024)0027 · PE752.889
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Parliament's resolution on the EU strategy on Central Asia calls for a review of the 2019 strategy and stronger EU engagement with Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.¶¶¶ It asks the Council and Commission to sign the partnership agreements with Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, advance talks with Tajikistan, and link EU aid to democratic reforms and human rights.¶ It urges the Central Asian states to prevent sanctions circumvention, protect human rights, release named political prisoners, fight corruption and improve media freedom and gender equality.¶¶¶ It backs connectivity along the Middle Corridor, water and climate cooperation, and visa facilitation, and sets out bilateral asks for each of the five states.¶¶¶
Key points
- Calls for a review of the EU-Central Asia strategy and for intensified political and economic engagement, welcoming the planned 2024 EU-Central Asia summit and the Joint Roadmap.¶¶
- Invites the EU to work out a joint strategy on Central Asia with the United States covering democracy promotion, investments, trade, economy and regional security.¶
- Rejects any move to recognise the secessionist entity in occupied Cyprus and urges Central Asian states not to ratify the amended Statute of the Organization of Turkic States.¶
- Calls on Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan to cooperate with the EU Sanctions Envoy to prevent sanctions circumvention, and condemns Russia recruiting Central Asian migrants to fight in Ukraine.¶
- Calls on the Council and Commission to sign the EPCAs with Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan without delay and to advance negotiations with Tajikistan.¶
- Backs the Middle Corridor as a route avoiding Russian territory, asks the Commission to investigate European Investment Bank support, and warns against new gas dependency on Russia.¶¶
- Calls for closer regional cooperation on water, welcomes the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea, and supports border delimitation between Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan.¶¶
- Urges the Central Asian states to meet democracy and human rights obligations, investigate serious violations, and maintain regular human rights dialogues.¶¶
- Calls for transparent elections, support for civil society, and protection of independent media, journalists and bloggers from pressure and closure.¶¶
- Calls on the Central Asian authorities to release named political prisoners in all five states.¶
- Urges action against gender-based violence, child marriage and discrimination, and calls for decriminalising consensual same-sex relations in Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.¶¶¶
- Calls for action against corruption, more cultural and public diplomacy, and Commission consultations on visa facilitation and readmission roadmaps.¶¶¶
Who is affected
- Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan: asked to sign agreements, protect rights and release prisoners.¶¶
- The Council and the Commission: asked to sign partnership agreements, review the strategy and link aid to reforms.¶
- Civil society, human rights defenders, independent media and journalists in Central Asia: to receive EU support and protection.¶
- Women, girls and LGBTIQ people in Central Asia: the resolution seeks laws and measures against violence and discrimination.¶
Figures and deadlines
- ‘one in every eight girls is married before 18 years of age’ in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.¶
- EU-Central Asia strategy adopted in 2019.¶
- Kazakhstan signed an EPCA in 2015, in force from 1 March 2020.¶
- EU-Kyrgyzstan EPCA negotiations concluded on 6 July 2019.
- EU-Uzbekistan EPCA negotiations concluded on 6 July 2022.
- First EU-Central Asian leaders’ meeting in Astana on 27 October 2022; second in Cholpon-Ata on 2 June 2023; summit planned for 2024.¶
- EU Gender Action Plan III covers 2021-2025.¶