BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 28. Foreign ministers from Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, along with deputy foreign ministers from Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, met with the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy on March 27 in Ashgabat for the 20th EU-Central Asia Ministerial Meeting, Trend reports.
The ministers highlighted the Global Gateway Investors Forum held in Brussels in January 2024 and welcomed commitments from European and international financial institutions to invest 10 billion euros in the Trans-Caspian International Transport Corridor - the Middle Corridor. They emphasized the corridor’s role in enhancing connectivity between Central Asia and Europe and fostering regional economic growth.
Participants also recognized Kazakhstan’s role in hosting the launch of the Middle Corridor coordination platform in June 2024 and Turkmenistan’s hosting of the high-level launch in October 2024. They reaffirmed the importance of cooperation with a peaceful South Caucasus to improve regional trade and logistics.
The meeting also addressed the growing focus on critical raw materials (CRMs) in EU-Central Asia relations. The ministers welcomed strategic partnerships between the EU and Kazakhstan, as well as the EU and Uzbekistan, aimed at strengthening local value chains, aligning with international standards, and promoting sustainable investment.