Dushanbe is hosting the 20th meeting of the European Union (EU) and Central Asian foreign ministers. The key objective of the meeting is to lay the groundwork for the first-ever EU-Central Asia Summit, Asiaplus.tj reports.
Ahead of the event, EU Ambassador to Tajikistan Raimundas Karoblis met with Tajik journalists.
Journalists inquired about EU assistance in light of the suspension of U.S. aid through USAID.
Karoblis clarified that EU and U.S. assistance programs are independent of each other, and the EU will continue its support without any reduction.
However, he noted that there are no plans to increase EU assistance, as the aid program has already been approved until 2027 and cannot be modified. Whether support will be expanded after 2027 remains uncertain.
The EU and Central Asian countries regularly engage at the highest political level to discuss their relations.
In 2022 and 2023, European Council President chaired meetings with the leaders of Central Asian states. Every year, foreign ministers from the five Central Asian countries meet with the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.
This year, a EU-Central Asia foreign ministers' meeting will take place in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan. The ministers aim to prepare for the historic EU-Central Asia Summit, scheduled for April 3-4, 2025, in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.
The President of the European Council, the President of the European Commission, and the Presidents of the five Central Asian countries will participate in the summit.
"The summit demonstrates the EU's commitment at the highest political level and marks a true turning point in EU-Central Asia relations," stated the EU Delegation to Tajikistan in a press release.
Ambassador Raimundas Karoblis emphasized that EU and its member states are the largest development aid providers in Central Asia.
For the 2021-2027 period, the EU has allocated over €550 million for the region.
Tajikistan alone has received €142 million in EU assistance during this period, with a focus on three priority areas:
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Inclusive green and digital economy
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Human capital development
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Natural resource management, efficiency, and sustainability
CentralasianLIGHT.org
March 26, 2025