Central Asia, explained.
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen meeting with leaders of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan (@vonderleyen/X)
An inaugural EU-Central Asia summit last week marked a step-up in geopolitical competition.
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What explains Europe’s interest in Central AsiaWhat explains Europe’s interest in Central Asia
Central Asia is suddenly winning friends and attention.
In 2023, Germany set up the “Germany – Central Asia” platform, holding its first summit in September that year in Berlin. A year later, Chancellor Olaf Scholz visited the region to attend a second summit in Astana, Kazakhstan’s capital
In March this year, the Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev visited France, where President Emmanuel Macron conferred France’s highest national award – the Legion of Honor.
With transatlantic ties under stress and the war in Ukraine raging, the European Union has been shifting focus toward the five post-Soviet states of Central Asia. Last week, the inaugural EU-Central Asia Summit was held in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. European Council President António Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen attended and met with each Central Asian leaders, with von der Leyen declaring that “for Europe, Central Asia was a partner of choice”. Energy and security cooperation are on the agenda. Diversifying away from Russia and China was also reported to be a key priority as the EU strengthens its engagement in the region.
Approximately 80 million people reside in Central Asia, with a deep culture and sizable market.
Although Europe is often described as Central Asia’s second-largest trading partner, its trade relations with the region remain largely focused on hydrocarbons, along with minerals primarily from Kazakhstan. China and Russia continue to dominate trade in the region, with China recently surpassing Russia as Central Asia’s leading trade partner. The EU wants to draw Central Asia into the fold, strengthening multilateral cooperation, enhancing economic, trade, and investment ties, and addressing common security challenges. Von der Leyen announced a €12 billion investment package for the region at the summit, aimed at boosting collaboration in transport, critical raw materials, clean energy, and digital connectivity.
Geopolitical competition in the region has long been evident but is growing more intense.
As European states reduce their dependence on Russian gas and oil, Central Asia has emerged as an important energy supplier. Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan, both major producers and exporters of oil and gas, are particularly significant in this regard. Diversifying energy supply sources was among the key priorities for EU representatives in the talks last week.
Connectivity also remains high on the agenda. The development of the Middle Corridor – also known as the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route – is of strategic interest to both the EU and Central Asia, as it provides a trade route that bypasses Russia.
While the EU officially frames its goals as “addressing common security challenges,” a key underlying objective is to counterbalance the influence of China and Russia.
The states in the region themselves have been conducting a so-called “multi-vector” foreign policy, trying to make the most of the cooperation they have with various global players. Elevating the partnership with the EU might help the region better balance the influence of any single great power. Mirziyoyev, as the host of the summit, has referred to it as a “historic chance” for Central Asia.
The EU is also becoming an increasingly important workforce market for Central Asian states. During Scholz’s visit to Uzbekistan last year, an agreement was signed under which skilled migrants from Uzbekistan would be allowed to work in Germany. This is an opportunity for some Central Asian states to diversify their reliance on the Russian market for migrant work. Currently, millions of Central Asians, particularly from Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan, work in Russia, often under harsh and illegal work arrangements.
Traditionally known as the “Russian backyard” due to its Soviet past, Central Asia has recently witnessed an increasing number of “CA+” formats. The United States invited Central Asian states to the inaugural US-Central Asia summit in 2023. The same year China’s President Xi Jinping launched the China–Central Asia platform, holding its inaugural summit in Xi’an in May 2023, where he offered assurances regarding the sovereignty and security of the Central Asian states.
Geopolitical competition in the region has long been evident but is growing more intense.
About the author
Dilnoza Ubaydullaeva
Dr Dilnoza Ubaydullaeva is a Lecturer at the ANU National Security College (NSC).
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