By the end of the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the EU in June 2024, it will be five years since the EU launched a new strategy for Central Asia. Since then, fundamental changes have taken place with NATO’s withdrawal from Afghanistan, the Taliban takeover, and Russia’s large-scale invasion of Ukraine. These events have significantly changed the security and geopolitical situation in Central Asia. Both the EU – including the EU member states – and the Central Asian countries have expressed a clear interest in further strengthening and deepening the partnership between the EU and Central Asian countries, in areas like connectivity and resources.

This roundtable event takes stock of the implementation of the 2019 EU strategy and reflects on a possible update. What impact do the geopolitical shifts have on EU-Central Asia relations? What are the new opportunities to deepen the partnership, but where are also the limits of the relation? Where does the 2019 strategy appear to be in need of an update or upgrade?

PRELIMINARY AGENDA

14.00 – 14.15       WELCOME

Jeroen Cooreman, Director-General Bilateral Affairs, Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs

14.15 – 14.30       INTRODUCTION

Fabienne Bossuyt, Ghent University

Stefan Meister, German Council on Foreign Relations

Aida Aidarkulova, CAPS Unlock

14.30 – 15.45       PANEL 1: TAKING STOCK OF THE 2019 STRATEGY: ASSESSING ITS SUCCESSES AND FAILURES

Sarah Rinaldi, European Commission (tbc)

Jos Boonstra, Centre for European Security Studies / EUCAM

Oybek Shaykhov, The Europe-Uzbekistan Association for Economic Cooperation

Zhanibek Arynov, Nazarbayev University

Chair: Fabienne Bossuyt, Ghent University

15.45 – 16.00       COFFEE BREAK

16.00 – 17.15       PANEL 2: IDENTIFYING THE IMPLICATIONS OF THE NEW STRATEGIC ENVIRONMENT FOR EU-CENTRAL ASIA RELATIONS

Dietmar Krissler, European External Action Service

Nargiza Muratalieva, American University of Central Asia

Temur Umarov, Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center

Samuel Doveri Vesterbye, European Neighbourhood Council

Chair: Stefan Meister, German Council on Foreign Relations

17.15 – 17.30       SUMMARY OF DISCUSSION AND CONCLUDING REMARKS

17.30 – 18.30       NETWORKING RECEPTION

The event takes place in the framework of Belgium’s Presidency of the Council of the EU and is supported by the Federal Public Service Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation of Belgium.