Emil Avdaliani
April’s inaugural Central Asia-EU Summit in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, was the first of its kind for the two sides and was seen as a means to elevate the bloc’s influence in the region. Amid growing great power competition over Eurasian connectivity, Brussels was looking to secure a more solid footing.
The most tangible outcome was the EU’s €12bn ($13.6bn) assistance package, which is intended to support the expansion of commercial routes, the mining sector, and digital connectivity across Central Asia. Specifics around how the funds will be distributed, or how they are linked to the €10bn in development aid pledged at the 2024 Global Gateway Investors Forum, are sparse.
What is known so far is that out of the €12bn, €3bn will be directed to the transport sector, €6.4bn to energy projects, and €100m for the development of satellite Internet. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) also has a pipeline of €7bn–€8bn worth of projects planned through 2027, though no details were released.
Central Asia, which includes Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, is vital for the EU as a key partner in the development of the Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor (or middle corridor) in competition with China’s massive Belt and Road Initiative.
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