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Source: AFP
Top EU leaders were successful Uzbekistan connected Friday for a large acme with the heads of 5 Central Asian states, seeking to property their power and boost ties successful the look of Russian and Chinese competition.
Russia's penetration of Ukraine has accelerated the region's drift from Moscow's orbit, with large powers to some the westbound and eastbound sensing an opening.
Central Asia is affluent successful earthy resources, connected the beforehand lines of clime alteration and besides seen arsenic a cardinal information subordinate arsenic a Muslim-majority portion that is trying to incorporate extremism and shares borders with Afghanistan, Iran, China and Russia.
Leaders from the 5 states -- Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan -- volition conscionable European Commission main Ursula von der Leyen and Antonio Costa, caput of the European Council.
Source: AFP
The acme takes spot successful the past Silk Road metropolis of Samarkand, for centuries a cardinal hub successful East-West connections, commercialized and commerce.
Von der Leyen said she hopes the acme volition instrumentality Brussels' relations with Central Asia "to the adjacent level" and deepen ties successful presumption of transport, earthy resources, h2o and energy.
"In these uncertain times, Europe stands for openness and engagement. For Europe, Central Asia is simply a spouse of choice," she said.
Alongside Russia's historical enactment successful the region, Turkey, China, the United States and adjacent the likes of South Korea and Japan are each trying to boost their influence.
For its part, Central Asia -- arsenic ample arsenic the EU but location to conscionable 80 cardinal people, one-fifth of those successful the 27-member bloc -- has been seeking to boost overseas investment.
Investment
The EU acme offers the countries a accidental to get thing their neighbours Russia and China cannot yet provide: precocious concern technology.
Source: AFP
Europe, meanwhile, is eyeing the region's precious resources.
On the eve of the summit, Kazakhstan announced discovering perchance its "largest" ever deposit of uncommon world elements.
The EU has its sights connected uranium deposits, astatine a clip erstwhile atomic powerfulness is making a comeback, arsenic good arsenic different strategical metals similar titanium, cobalt, and lithium, said Raul Villegas, an expert astatine the European Policy Centre, a Brussels-based deliberation tank.
As a bloc, the EU is already the region's largest overseas investor, accounting for 40 percent of nonstop inward concern implicit the past 10 years.
It is besides the largest supplier of improvement aid.
But Russia and China volition beryllium hard to dislodge.
Beijing is pouring currency into ambitious infrastructure projects, portion Russia supplies arms and energy, arsenic good arsenic having long-standing taste and linguistic scope crossed the erstwhile Soviet states.
During a sojourn to Uzbekistan past year, Russian President Vladimir Putin criticised the United States and Europe for "trying to disrupt our traditionally adjacent commercial, cooperative and taste ties."
Sanctions, rights
The warfare successful Ukraine and sanctions against Russia volition besides beryllium connected the table, an EU authoritative told AFP.
Source: AFP
Central Asia has emerged arsenic 1 of respective hubs done which sanctioned Western goods are re-exported to Russia.
Brussels would similar the portion to ace down connected the flow, arsenic it pushes to support up the unit connected Moscow astatine a clip erstwhile US President Donald Trump pushes a rapprochement with the Kremlin.
Central Asian countries person shown "willingness" to enactment and "some progress" but "we would similar to spot a batch much from our partners," the authoritative said, speaking connected information of anonymity.
Further enactment was not a precondition for practice successful different sectors but "an important constituent successful bid to beforehand our relations," the authoritative added.
Despite pleas from NGOs, quality rights were not expected to feature heavy successful the talks.
"We're not going determination to preach, but we are going to marque our concerns known, to enactment with them, to person a dialogue," the authoritative said.
All 5 of the countries are classed arsenic "not free" by the Freedom House NGO that tracks antiauthoritarian rights astir the world.
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Source: AFP
