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BRUSSELS, June 2 () –
The European Union and the countries of Central Asia have expressed this Friday their commitment to territorial integrity and sovereignty, a message that comes at the height of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and by countries neighboring Moscow and that made up the Soviet Union.
The meeting of the President of the Council, Charles Michel, with the leaders of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan served to review multilateral cooperation between the EU and the region, a relationship that the bloc hopes to increase, especially in issues such as trade and connectivity.
In any case, at the international level, the joint declaration after the meeting indicates the commitment to defend the United Nations charter, “particularly the principles of respect for the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries , the non-use of force or the threat of its use and the peaceful settlement of international disputes”, a message in clear reference to the war in Ukraine by Russia’s neighboring countries.
Faced with the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan, a country in the Central Asian region, the participants call on the international community to increase humanitarian assistance and stress the importance of having an inclusive and representative government, reiterating the call to the Taliban when it approaches the second anniversary of the capture of Kabul.
In bilateral aspects, the participants highlighted the need for more sustainable connectivity and pointed to the diversification efforts and the objectives of the European Global Gateway strategy, with which the bloc aspires to mobilize infrastructures throughout the world to the detriment of the agenda from China.
The declaration also recognizes the importance of further expanding “mutual trade and investment mechanisms to boost socio-economic development of all parties.” They also underlined the importance of a close dialogue in the context of the EU sanctions regimes.
