BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 10. The European Union sees growing momentum in its partnership with Central Asia, driven by both economic and political shifts in the region, EU Ambassador to Uzbekistan Toivo Klaar said during a panel discussion at the IV Tashkent International Investment Forum, Trend reports.
Speaking at the session titled 'EU-Central Asia Partnership: The Road from the Samarkand Summit', Klaar praised Uzbekistan’s leadership in fostering regional cooperation, calling it a pivotal force behind the recent progress in ties between the EU and Central Asia.
"Uzbekistan is a leader in regional cooperation," Klaar stated. "And that was very clear when we had—that was symbolized by the summit that we had in Samarkand just two months ago".
He emphasized that the Samarkand Summit marked more than a diplomatic milestone—it underscored a "huge shift" in EU engagement with the region, which he attributed to changing internal dynamics among the Central Asian countries. "This is due to the internal dynamics here, which make the whole region more attractive to partners," he said. "And it promotes a stronger focus by the EU and EU member states to a region that is strategically located".
Klaar noted that the political transformation unfolding in Central Asia is laying a firm foundation for expanding cooperation with the EU: "This political shift that we're seeing in the cooperation between these five countries is really providing a very solid basis for building on the relationship between the European Union and the region".
Beyond economic ties, Klaar pointed to shared concerns that are increasingly shaping the EU-Central Asia agenda. "We have an economic interest. But we also, I think, we have now a shared concern for the environment, for the responsible use of water resources".
"We are ready to provide that experience," he continued. "We are ready to support the Central Asian countries in ever closer cooperation—as much as they want, of course. But I think there the EU can provide a very unique, be a unique partner for this region".
Reflecting on the progress already made and the prospects ahead, Klaar concluded: "There’s actually a huge potential for developing further what we already achieved, as you said, with the Samarkand summit".