Central Asia's Geopolitical Importance: Western Policies and Agendas
Channel: Cabar.asia
Date: 2023-03-13

The war in Ukraine is transforming the global arena of international relations between the countries. The strategically located Central Asian region is not an exception. Central Asia is in a challenging position, both economically and in terms of foreign policy development.

Meanwhile, the western actors - the United States and the European Union - have both developed strategies for engaging with Central Asia. These strategies reflect their interests in promoting stability, security, and economic development in the region, as well as perspectives on how to achieve these goals.

During the international expert meeting, we discussed the current changes in Western (EU and US) relations with the region. The major issues the experts reflected on were be as follows:
Amid the war in Ukraine, will the EU and US strategies for Central Asia be changed to more adequately address current realities?
Do the current strategies and their approaches reflect the realities and needs of the region itself?
What vectors of the western strategies for the region should be revised and emphasised in the changing world?
How should cooperation in the fields of security, economy, and human rights develop?
How can EU/US and Central Asia build closer ties and mutual understanding?

Speakers:
George Krol - Adjunct Professor, U.S. Naval War College, former US Ambassador to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan

Brianne Todd - Country Director, Central Asia, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, Adjunct Assistant Professor - Center for Security Studies (CSS)

Zhanibek Arynov - Assistant Professor at the Graduate School of Public Policy, Nazarbayev University, Kazakhstan

Karolina Kluczewska - Postdoctoral researcher at the Ghent Institute for International and European Studies (GIES)

Fabienne Bossuyt - Associate Professor at Ghent University and co-coordinator of the Ghent Institute for International and European Studies (GIES)
Chair:
Nargis Kassenova - Ph.D., Senior Fellow, Director, Program on Central Asia, Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies, Harvard University