JOINT COMMUNICATION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL The EU and Central Asia: New Opportunities for a Stronger Partnership
Date: 2019-05-15
Institutions: European Commission, European External Action Service
Subjects: Central Asia, EU relations, civil society, democracy, development aid, economic cooperation, economic development, regional cooperation, terrorism, trade cooperation

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  EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION HIGH REPRESENTATIVE OF THE UNION FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND SECURITY POLICY Brussels, 15.5.2019  JOIN(2019) 9 final  JOINT COMMUNICATION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL The EU and Central Asia: New Opportunities for a  Stronger Partnership  
 
 
Joint Communication to the European Parliament and the Council 
The EU and Central Asia: New Opportunities for a Stronger Partnership 

INTRODUCTION  

The European Union (EU) and the five countries of Central Asia (Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, 
Tajikistan,  Turkmenistan  and  Uzbekistan)  have  a  longstanding  relationship  based  upon  strong 
mutual interests.  

The EU Strategy on Central Asia of 20071 helped the EU and Central Asia to reach an unprecedented 
level  of  cooperation.  Central  Asia's  strategic  geographical  location  at  the  crossroads  of  Europe 
and Asia, its share in EU energy imports and the market potential of seventy million inhabitants, 
as well as the EU's interest in regional security, have made Central Asia an increasingly important 
partner for the EU.  

Some of today's developments in Central Asia have further opened up new opportunities for taking 
the  EU-Central  Asia  partnership  forward.  Reform  processes  in  the  region  have  triggered  calls  for 
political  recognition  and  support  for  modernisation  from  the  EU.  The  new  momentum  in  regional 
cooperation,  illustrated  by  the  first  informal  Summit  of  Central  Asian  leaders  of  March  2018  in 
Astana,  has  enhanced  the  relevance  of  the  EU's  experience  in  crafting  cooperative  solutions  to 
common challenges. Renewed efforts to promote Euro-Asian connectivity have increased interest for 
the  EU's  approach  to  sustainable  connectivity.  Stronger  cooperation  between  Central  Asia  and 
Afghanistan has set new parameters for the EU's own efforts to promote peace in the country. And the 
new  ambition  expressed  by  some  Central  Asian  states  to  play  a  more  active  role  in  global  and 
regional affairs is increasing the potential for cooperation with the EU on common objectives.  

EU  engagement  in  the  region  can  build  upon  significant  assets.  The  countries  of  Central  Asia  can 
trust the EU as a leading donor and committed partner in their reform and economic transition process, 
a leading supporter of their integration in the world trading system, a source of quality investment and 
state-of-the-art technologies, and a natural supporter of their regional cooperation efforts.  

This Joint  Communication  aims  to  forge  a  stronger,  modern  and  non-exclusive  partnership with 
the  countries  of  Central  Asia  so  that  the  region  develops  as  a  sustainable,  more  resilient, 
prosperous, and closely interconnected economic and political space. It will build upon the lessons 
learnt from EU engagement in the region, take into consideration other relevant strategies including 
the  Global  Strategy  for  the  European  Union's  Foreign  and  Security  Policy2,  the  New  European 
Consensus on Development3, the  EU Strategy on Connecting Europe and Asia4 and EU Strategy on 
Afghanistan5, and be guided by the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development6.  

1   The EU and Central Asia: Strategy for a New Partnership, 10113/07 of 31 May 2007. 
2   Shared vision, Common Action: A Stronger Europe. A Global Strategy for the European Union's Foreign and 

Security Policy, June 2016. 

3   New  European  Consensus  on  Development, ̒  Our  world,  our  dignity,  our  future ̓,  OJ  2017/C  210/01  of  30 

June 2017. 

4   Connecting Europe and Asia  – Building blocks  for an EU Strategy  – Council conclusions, 13097/18 of 15 

October 2018. 

5   Afghanistan – Council conclusions, 13098/17 of 16 October 2017. 
6   Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, Resolution adopted by the United 

Nations General Assembly on 25 September 2015. 

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The EU Strategy will focus on three interconnected and mutually reinforcing priorities:    

  Partnering for Resilience  

The  EU  will  partner  with  Central  Asian  countries  in  anticipating  and  addressing  the  challenges 
affecting  their  socio-economic  goals  and  security  and  enhancing  their  ability  to  embrace  reform 
and  modernisation.  It  will  promote  democracy,  human  rights  and  the  rule  of  law,  intensify 
cooperation  on  implementing  the  Paris  climate  commitments  and  tackling  trans-regional 
environmental challenges to turn them into opportunities, and step up cooperation on migration.  

  Partnering for Prosperity 

The EU will partner with Central Asian countries in unlocking their significant growth potential 
by  fostering  the  development  of  a  competitive  private  sector  and  promoting  a  sound  and  open 
investment environment. It will cooperate in the development of skills, research and innovation, 
with  special  attention  for  youth.  It  will  work  to  address  structural  constraints  on  intra-regional 
trade  and  investment,  support  remaining  Central  Asian  states'  accession  to  the  World  Trade 
Organisation (WTO) and promote sustainable connectivity. 

  Working Better Together 

The EU will work together with the countries of Central Asia to strengthen the architecture of the 
partnership, intensifying political dialogue and opening up space for civil society participation. It 
will  remain  engaged  as  a  leading  development  partner  for  the  region.  It  will  strengthen  public 
diplomacy to underline the benefits of the partnership to the region and its citizens.  

While  respecting  the  aspirations  and  interests  of  each  of  its  Central  Asian  partners,  as  well  as 
maintaining the need to differentiate between specific country situations, the EU will seek to deepen 
its engagement with those Central Asian countries willing and able to intensify relations. The EU will 
seek  to  work  with  third  countries  and  international  organisations  where  such  broader  involvement 
would contribute to the general objectives of the EU and this Strategy. The new-generation bilateral 
Enhanced  Partnership  and  Cooperation  Agreements  (EPCAs),  which  the  EU  has  concluded  and 
which it might conclude with individual countries of Central Asia7, will remain a cornerstone of EU 
engagement.  This  Joint  Communication  aims  to  mobilise  the  broad  set  of  EU  policies  and 
instruments, which will be used to take the EU-Central Asia partnership to the next level, and will 
also guide the programming of EU development cooperation and assistance. 

*** 

Cross-cutting Priority: Investing in Regional Cooperation within Central Asia 

The EU has a strong interest in seeing Central Asia develop as a region of rules-based cooperation 
and connectivity rather than of competition and rivalry. The EU is determined to invest in the new 
opportunities and growing potential for cooperation within and with the region as a whole.  

Regional  cooperation  should allow  Central  Asian  states  to  better  manage  their  interdependence, 
address their vulnerabilities and shared concerns, unlock their economic growth potential, increase 

7   The  EU  has  signed  an  EPCA  with  Kazakhstan.  EPCA  negotiations  are  underway  with  Kyrgyzstan  and 
Uzbekistan. Tajikistan has expressed interest in engaging in EPCA negotiations. EPCAs create a framework 
which  is  not  exclusive  to  participation  in  other  existing  cooperation  initiatives,  such  as  Free  Trade 
Agreements and the Eurasian Economic Union, of which Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan are members. 

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influence in international affairs and preserve their independence and identities. While it belongs to 
Central  Asians to identify  ways  to  advance  voluntary  forms  of  regional  cooperation  at  their  own 
pace, the EU will support these processes, based upon its own experience of the benefits which 
integration mechanisms and greater connectivity can bring. 

EU-Central Asia dialogues and EU-funded regional programmes will contribute to promoting 
cooperative solutions at the regional level in areas such as the environment, water, climate change 
and sustainable energy; education; the rule of law; sustainable connectivity; drugs policy; security 
and the prevention of radicalisation; border management and intra-regional trade facilitation.  

Whenever useful for the EU and Central Asia, and depending on issues, dialogue and cooperation 
programmes with Central Asian states could extend to  neighbouring states, such as countries of 
the  Eastern  Partnership,  Afghanistan  and  others.  Central  Asia  and  Afghanistan  have  become 
increasingly  relevant  to  each  other  given  their  common  interest  in  security  and  stability,  water 
management  and  building  effective  connectivity  links.  Integrating  Afghanistan  as  appropriate  in 
relevant  EU-Central  Asia  dialogue  meetings  and  regional  programmes,  and  supporting  more 
trilateral  cooperation  projects  with  Afghan  and  Central  Asian  partners,  will  therefore  remain  a 
priority. 

1.  

PARTNERING FOR RESILIENCE 

It  is  in  the  strategic  interest  of  the  EU  to  strengthen  the  resilience  of  Central  Asia,  of  its  states  and 
societies.  This  requires  reinforcing  their  ability  to  anticipate  and  withstand  external  and  internal 
pressures,  to  embrace  reform,  and  to  address  the  challenges  stemming  from  globalisation,  rapid 
population  growth,  climate  change  and  environmental  degradation,  pressure  on  water  and  energy 
resources,  labour  migration  and  new  security  threats.  Given  the  significant  differences  between  the 
Central Asian countries in their socio-economic development stages and models, the EU will focus on 
the most acute vulnerabilities, building on existing strengths and concentrating efforts on those areas 
where it can make a difference. Promoting relevant opportunities for the increasingly connected and 
aspirational  young  population  of  Central  Asia  and  empowering  women  and  girls  will  remain  key 
priorities for the EU.  

1.1.  

Promoting Democracy, Human Rights and the Rule of Law 

Consolidating  democratic  institutions,  empowering  citizens  and  establishing  more  inclusive  political 
and  economic  governance  structures,  promoting  the  rule  of  law,  strengthening  the  accountability  of 
public  institutions  and  ensuring  respect  for  human  rights  are  key  conditions  for  the  success  of  the 
sustainable development of Central Asia. Respect for human rights will therefore remain an essential 
element of the EU's bilateral relations with the countries of the region.  

The  EU  will  continue  to  promote  respect  for  human  rights  in  compliance  with  international 
standards,  with  a  focus  on  freedom  of  expression  (including  media  pluralism),  freedom  of 
association, women's rights, children's rights, the rights of minorities and fight against discrimination, 
and prevention and eradication of torture. The EU will also seek to build partnerships, for instance in 
the context of the Good Human Rights Stories Initiative. 

The EU will encourage Central Asian states to  cooperate further with UN treaty bodies, agencies 
and Special Procedures. It will promote cooperation in multilateral human rights fora such as the 
UN  Human  Rights  Council  and  Third  Committee  of  the  UN  General  Assembly.  It  will  cooperate 
towards  the  ratification  and  implementation  of  key  international  human  rights  and  core  labour 
standards  conventions  and  resolutions,  using  to  that  effect  the  Special  Incentive  Arrangement  for 

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Sustainable Development and Good Governance (GSP+) for eligible countries in the region. The EU 
Member  States'  experience  in  the  legal  adjustments  required  to  accede  to  the  Rome  Statute  of  the 
International Criminal Court could be beneficial for the Central Asian countries.  

Civil  society  participation  in  public  decision-making  has  a  crucial  role  to  play  to  ensure  the 
sustainability  of  the  modernisation  processes  underway  in  Central  Asia.  The  EU  will  promote  an 
enabling  legal  and  political  environment  for  civil  society  that  allows  human  rights  defenders, 
journalists and independent trade unionists and employers' organisations to operate freely and safely. It 
will encourage dialogue and cooperation between civil society and administrations at all levels.  

The EU will step up efforts to promote democracy, the rule of law and good governance, which are 
necessary to make public institutions more responsive and accountable to their citizens as well as to 
attract  foreign  investment.  The  EU  will  remain  engaged  in  promoting  fair  and  transparent  electoral 
processes.  It  will  enhance  legal  and  judicial  cooperation,  including  with  the  Council  of  Europe,  to 
promote  the  independence  and  efficiency  of  justice  systems.  As  corruption  remains  a  widespread 
concern  in  the  region,  the  EU  will  make  expertise  available  to  the  countries  wishing  to  make  the 
necessary changes to their legislation and administrative systems and to strengthen their independent 
oversight institutions.  

Given its positive spill-over in many areas from counter-radicalisation to private sector development, 
the  EU  will  promote  –  including  through  the  integration  of  the  UN  Agenda  for  Women,  Peace  and 
Security  in  the  relevant  aspects  of  EU  cooperation  –  gender  equality  and  empowering  of  women 
and girls, whose potential to engage in social, economic and political life remains largely untapped in 
the region. The Spotlight Initiative8 could play an important role in that respect.   

Promoting decent work and respect for international labour standards will remain a priority. The 
EU  will  help  to  consolidate  the  progress  made  in  recent  years  towards  compliance  with  the 
fundamental  conventions  of  the  International  Labour  Organisation  (ILO)  and  encourage  the 
ratification  and  implementation  of  ILO  conventions  on  labour  inspections,  occupational  health  and 
safety and working conditions. The EU will promote compliance with the UN Guiding Principles on 
Business and Human Rights.  

Cooperation with the  Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE)9, including at 
the local level, will be key in this respect. The EU will promote adherence to and implementation of 
the  principles  and  commitments  of  the  OSCE;  strengthen  cooperation  with  the  autonomous 
institutions, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, the High Commissioner 
on National Minorities and the Representative on Freedom of the media; and encourage Central Asian 
states to step up their own engagement with the OSCE and to support its field missions in the region.  

Finally,  the  EU  will  reinforce  cooperation  with  the  Organisation  for  Economic  Cooperation  and 
Development  and  with  the  ILO  in  the  promotion  of sound  business environments  and  of the  decent 
work agenda.  

Specific initiatives in this area should include:   

  Using  regional  programmes  to  support  the  sharing  of  experience  in  legal  and  judicial 
reform,  human  rights,  international  labour  standards,  good  governance,  electoral  reform 
and  women's  empowerment  between  the  EU  and  Central  Asia,  among  Central  Asians 
themselves, and with countries of the Eastern Partnership 

8   The Spotlight Initiative is a joint EU-UN initiative which aims to eliminate violence against women and girls. 
9   All countries of Central Asia are members of the OSCE. 

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  Developing  training  opportunities  on  human  rights  and  advocacy  skills  for  civil  society 
activists and human rights defenders and promoting cross-border contacts among them in 
the region, as well with their counterparts in the EU and Eastern Partnership countries 
  Establishing a dedicated dialogue on labour standards and business and human rights  

Strengthening  Cooperation  on  Border  Management,  Migration  and  Mobility,  and  in 

1.2.  
addressing Common Security Challenges 

The EU and Central Asia have been longstanding partners in security. Regular meetings of the EU-
Central Asia High-level Political and Security Dialogue provide an opportunity for exchanging views 
on  broader  security  challenges  and  effective  policy  responses.  The  EU  will  promote  an  integrated 
approach to cooperation in security with the region and intensify cooperation to address the main root 
causes  of  insecurity  such  as  poverty,  social  exclusion  and  marginalisation,  limited  political 
participation, institutional weaknesses, corruption and mismanagement of natural resources. In order 
to contribute to sustainable human security, the EU will aim to engage with Central Asian countries on 
the  security  sector  and  consider  cooperation  aimed  at  promoting  its  accountability  and  the 
effectiveness of its reform.  

Climate  change  and  environmental  degradation  are  potential  threat  multipliers.  The  EU  will 
therefore  further  integrate  the  link  between  the  environment,  climate  and  security  in  its  policy 
dialogue,  conflict  prevention,  development  and  humanitarian  actions  and  disaster  risk  reduction 
strategies across Central Asia.  

Terrorism  and  violent  extremism  remain  a  challenge  in  the  EU  as  well  as  in  Central  Asia. 
Cooperation in preventing violent extremism and radicalisation, financing of terrorism and addressing 
the issue of returning terrorist fighters will remain a priority of the partnership, and will be developed 
with the newly-established post of EU security and counterterrorism expert with regional competence 
for Central Asia, and in cooperation with civil society and with continued attention for human rights. 
The  EU  will  promote  exchange  of  good  practice  on  the  prevention  of  violent  extremism,  including 
research on the drivers of violent extremism, preventive measures and counter-messaging. It will seek 
to  strengthen  the  resilience  of  the  local  communities  towards  violent  extremism  while  respecting 
human  rights  and  the  rule  of  law  and  being  gender-sensitive,  in  line  with  the  UN  Action  Plan  on 
Preventing Violent Extremism.  

Building upon the lessons learnt from past programmes in the region, the EU will step up cooperation 
with  Central  Asia  on  modern  integrated  border  management,  extending  regional  cooperation 
efforts to Afghanistan. The EU will seek further ways to intensify cooperation with the region in the 
fight against organised crime, migrant smuggling, trafficking in human beings and trafficking in 
illicit drugs. The EU will continue cooperating in the development of integrated and balanced drug 
policies.  

With  the  aim  to  improve  the  management  of  the  migration  and  mobility  within  the  Central  Asian 
region,  and  to  create  the  conditions  for  enhanced  people-to-people  contacts  between  the  citizens  of 
Central Asian countries and those of the EU and other partner countries, strengthened cooperation will 
focus on addressing irregular migration in full respect of human rights. This will imply cooperating 
on  border  management,  readmission  of  irregular  migrants  and  the  reintegration  of  the  returnees, 
addressing  the  root  causes  of  irregular  migration  through  promoting  vocational  training,  decent 
working  conditions  and  quality  jobs  at  home,  supporting  the  legal  channels  of  migration,  and 

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establishing effective legislation and systems to assist the victims of trafficking in human beings and 
the persons in need of international protection.  

To that end, the EU will encourage Central Asian countries to develop national migration policies, to 
cooperate at the regional level, and to cooperate on the multilateral governance of mobility and 
migration,  following  the  guiding  principles  of  the  United  Nations.  In  parallel,  the  EU  will  also 
enhance its bilateral dialogue and cooperation on migration and mobility with the countries of Central 
Asia, in particular in the framework of the EPCAs. 

The  EU  will engage  with Central  Asian  states to promote  an  open,  free  and  secure  cyberspace  and 
enhance cybersecurity.    

The  EU  will  continue  to  cooperate  with  the  region  on  non-proliferation  of  Weapons  of  Mass 
Destruction, export control of dual-use items, and nuclear safety and security, making full use of 
the Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Risk Mitigation Centre of Excellence in Central 
Asia.  It  will  engage  in  closer  dialogue  with  Central  Asian  states  on  crisis  management  and 
peacekeeping.  

It is also in the interest of the EU to continue monitoring developments in regional security structures 
such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and Collective Security Treaty Organisation.  

Specific initiatives in this area should include:   

  Using  the  EU-Central  Asia  High-level  Political  and  Security  Dialogue  and  the  newly-
established post of EU security and counterterrorism expert with regional competence for 
Central Asia to strengthen practical cooperation on a broader security agenda, including 
security sector reform and governance, hybrid threats and the water/security nexus     
  Holding ad hoc EU-Central Asia experts' meetings on the prevention of violent extremism 
and  counterterrorism  to  promote  sharing  of  best  practices  and  strengthening  of  cross-
border cooperation in line with relevant international commitments  

  Intensifying  cooperation  and  synergies  with  the  OSCE  on  preventing  and  countering 

transnational threats in Central Asia 

  Continuing  cooperation  on  drugs  policy  to  further  strengthen  national  policies  in  drug 

demand reduction and address illegal drugs supply and related organised crime  

  Sharing  expertise  on  cyber  security  and  hybrid  threats,  including  the  opportunity  for 
Central Asia to participate in the joint identification of hybrid threats as part of the EU's 
Hybrid Risk Survey  

  Strengthening  cooperation  on  modern  integrated  border  management,  building  upon 

longstanding EU-Central Asia and EU-Afghanistan cooperation    

  Enhancing  dialogue  and  cooperation  on  migration  and  mobility  in  the  framework  of  the 

EPCAs and of the United Nations 

1.3.   Enhancing Environmental, Climate and Water Resilience 

Central Asia is facing increasingly severe environmental challenges. The combined impact of climate 
change, which has started to reduce water flow by shrinking the glaciers that feed Central Asian rivers, 
and  rapid  population  growth  will  exacerbate  some  of  the  region's  environmental  concerns,  with 
potential implications for economic development, security and migration.  

The  EU  can  help  the  region  to  turn  these  challenges  into  opportunities.  As  these  challenges  are 
transboundary  in  nature  and  require  mutual  trust  and cooperative  solutions,  the  EU  will  continue  to 
pursue a regional approach to cooperation in the field of the environment, water and climate change.  

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The EU will cooperate with its Central Asian partners on the implementation of the Paris Agreement 
on Climate Change10 and the nationally determined contributions through concrete measures directed 
towards climate change mitigation, adaptation and disaster risk reduction.  

The  EU  will  support  Central  Asian  countries  in  adopting  high  environmental  standards  and  will 
encourage  them  to  move  away  from  linear  production  models  to  a  circular  economy  in  which  the 
value of products is retained as long as possible, energy and resource efficiency is increased and waste 
and  emissions  of  carbon  and  pollutants  are  minimised.  Such  a  shift  to  sustainable  consumption  and 
production can bring significant benefits to human health and quality of life, while helping to promote 
economic diversification, creating new business opportunities and stimulating economic growth.  

Building  upon the region's  potential  in  solar,  wind  and  hydroelectric energy,  the  EU  will encourage 
Central  Asia's  reforms  of  the  energy  sector  and  transition  to  a  low-carbon  economy.  Making 
available  EU  technology  and  expertise  in  renewable  energy  and  energy  efficiency  and  providing 
advice on regulatory reforms should contribute to strengthening the region's energy resilience, helping 
to meet its climate objectives and creating jobs and business opportunities on both sides.  

The  EU  will  also  promote  better  environmental  governance  and  support  the  capacity-building  of 
Central  Asian  states  to  mainstream  environmental  concerns  in  other  policies  and  public  decision-
making, especially through adequate assessments of environmental impacts. The EU will promote the 
environmental  sustainability  of  investments  in  connectivity  infrastructure  and  the  accession  of  all 
Central Asian countries to regional and global multilateral environmental agreements. 

Sharing  experience  in  the  sustainable  management  of  natural  resources,  biodiversity  protection 
and  ecological  tourism  can  help  to  achieve  a  wide  range  of  objectives  such  as  rural  development, 
conservation of ecosystems and environmental awareness-raising.  

In line with the EU's Council Conclusions on Water Diplomacy11, the promotion of a regional agenda 
for water,  peace  and  prosperity  will remain  a  key  priority  in  the  region.  The EU  will  continue to 
encourage  mutually  acceptable  solutions  to  improve  regional  cooperation  on  the  equitable 
management  of  transboundary  water  resources,  in  concertation  with  the  relevant  UN  agencies  and 
other partners. It will promote accession to and implementation of the Water Convention of the United 
Nations  Economic  Commission  for  Europe12,  encourage  cooperation  around  the  Aral  Sea  and  the 
implementation of the Agreement on the legal status of the Caspian Sea13.  

The EU will continue to foster cooperation with the region, including through the training of experts, 
to promote integrated water resources management, reduce water waste, improve water quality, and 
modernise infrastructures and promote modern agricultural irrigation systems. 

As the region is particularly exposed to natural and man-made hazards, the EU will support national 
and regional efforts towards new policies and legislation in disaster risk reduction. The EU will also 
make available its expertise in civil protection and emergency response in order to encourage a more 
structural, regional approach to resilience and preparedness.   

10   Signed on 12 December 2015. 
11   Water Diplomacy – Council conclusions, 13991/18 of 19 November 2018. 
12   Convention  on  the  Protection  and  Use  of  Transboundary  Watercourses  and  International  Lakes,  done  at 

Helsinki on 17 March 1992. 

13   Signed on 12 August 2018 in Aktau. 

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The EU will continue to cooperate in supporting environmental remediation measures to address the 
legacy of toxic chemical and radioactive waste from past uranium mining in the region.   

The EU will use its financial instruments, grants and guarantees, in particular those provided by the 
European Investment Bank (EIB), and in cooperation with the European Bank for Reconstruction and 
Development  (EBRD)  and  other  multilateral  development  banks,  to  mobilise  public  and  in 
particular private capital for environmental projects and environmentally sustainable economic 
activities.  The  promotion  of  a  sound  regulatory  framework  will  be  of  crucial  importance  to  attract 
private investment.  

Specific initiatives in this area should include:   

  Strengthening  inter-regional  and  intra-regional  cooperation  fora  and  mechanisms  in  the 

field of the environment, water and climate change  

  Developing sharing of experience and innovative financing to promote renewable energy 
  Promoting  scientific  cooperation  and  research  on  water  management  as  well  as  open-

access reliable data on climate and water that can inform effective policy  

  Strengthening  cooperation  with  the  United  Nations  Regional  Centre  for  Preventive 

Diplomacy in Regional Central Asia on the water and security nexus 

  Supporting  the  sustainable  management  of  natural  resources  and  ecosystems  and  the 
implementation  of  the  Strategic  Plan  for  Biodiversity  and  the  future  post-2020  Global 
Biodiversity Framework  

  Promoting  sharing  of  experience  and  cooperation  on  the  circular  economy,  in  particular 

sustainable waste management systems and the fight against air pollution  

2.  

PARTNERING FOR PROSPERITY  

An  increasingly  strategic  location  at  the  crossroads  of  Europe  and  Asia,  a  young  population14,  high 
literacy  rates  and  abundant  natural  resources  provide  Central  Asia  with  significant  growth  and 
development potential. At the same time, there is an increasing recognition in the region of the need to 
adopt  new  economic  development  models  and  to  diversify  economies  to  meet  the  challenges  and 
opportunities of globalisation. The EU will work with the countries of Central Asia to help produce 
durable  results,  which  will  imply  developing  the  private  market,  improving  the  investment  climate, 
accelerating  the  transition  towards  a  green  and  circular  economy,  reducing  socio-economic 
inequalities, investing in human capital and promoting decent work for all, unlocking the potential for 
intra and inter-regional trade and promoting sustainable connectivity.  

2.1.   Consolidating the Partnership for Economic Reform 

The EU has a strong interest in supporting the transformation of the economies of Central Asia, which 
are  currently  over-dependent  on  commodities  or  low  value-added  exports15  as  well  as  migrant 
remittances, into  diversified  and  competitive  private sector-driven  economies  which  can  create jobs, 
integrate in regional and global value chains, and provide a level-playing field and opportunities for all 
economic operators.  

The  EU  will  aim  to  encourage  more  sustainable  and  inclusive  growth  models  in  the  region. 
Economic  reform  and  modernisation  should  bring  benefits  to  the  entire  societies  and  contribute  to 
reduce inequalities as well as regional disparities and the rural-urban divide. The EU's experience in 
rural development, regional policy and cohesion will be particularly relevant to that end.   

14   Half  the  population  of  the  region  is  under  20  years  old  and  Central  Asian  economies  need  to  absorb  one 

million new entrants on the labour market every year.   

15   Hydrocarbons and minerals represented almost 60% of the region's total exports in 2018. 

8 

 
 
 
                                                           
The  development  of  a  competitive  private  sector  and  in  particular  of  Small  and  Medium-sized 
Enterprises (SMEs) will be a priority of EU engagement given the vital role that the private sector can 
play  in  supporting  economic  growth,  women  empowerment,  promoting  decent  work  and  combating 
poverty. The EU will promote the development of capital markets and broadening of access to finance 
for  SMEs,  sound  regulatory  frameworks  and  fiscal  policies  as  well  as  effective  anti-corruption 
policies.  Private  sector  development  will  remain  a  key  priority  of  the  EU  Investment  Facility  for 
Central Asia.  

As a leading source of private investment worldwide, the EU is particularly well placed to intensify 
dialogue at the strategic level with the governments and business representatives of the region as well 
as  with  international  financial  institutions  to  promote  a  sound,  transparent,  open,  non-
discriminatory  and  predictable  regulatory  and  policy  environment  for  European  economic 
operators trading with or investing in Central Asia.  

Support  to  private  sector  development  and  investment  should  focus  as  a  priority  on  growth  and 
employment-generating sectors where the EU has particular expertise and comparative advantages 
such  as  the  agricultural  sector  and  agri-business,  the  environment  and  water,  energy,  transport  and 
sustainable tourism.  

The  EU  will  promote  business-to-business  dialogue  and  cooperation  with  Central  Asia,  including 
among start-ups and business incubators. It will help to create bilateral and regional fora for business-
to-business  dialogue  and  cooperation  such  as  European  Chambers  of  Commerce  in  countries  of 
Central  Asia.  The  EU  will  aim  to  include  Central  Asian  employers'  and  workers'  associations  into 
dialogue  on  issues  ranging  from  the  investment  climate  to  education,  employability  (including  of 
women and girls) and labour market reform.  

As the availability of high-quality statistics is a pre-condition for developing efficient public policies, 
the EU will continue to work on the development of the statistical systems of Central Asian countries.  

As part of its regular bilateral consultations with the countries of Central Asia, the EU will strengthen 
exchanges and cooperation on macro-economic reforms,  financial, monetary and fiscal policies as 
well as public finance management. It will promote debt management strategies and domestic bond 
markets and facilitate reforms of the monetary policy frameworks and financial system supervision.  

Specific initiatives in this area should include:  

  Promoting  improvements  in  the  business  and  investment  environment  and  supporting 
private sector development, in particular small and medium size enterprises, through EU-
Central  Asia  business-to-business  dialogue  and  cooperation,  sectoral  dialogue  and 
technical assistance 

  Promoting  twinnings  to  share  know-how  and  build  the  capacity  of  Central  Asian 

administrations in key aspects of economic reforms 

  Sharing know-how on the development of statistical systems   

9 

 
 
 
2.2.   Facilitating Intra-regional and Inter-regional Trade and Investment 

More needs to be done together to address the structural constraints which still limit the potential for 
trade and investment between the EU and Central Asia16, boost intra-regional trade17 and investment, 
and ensure Central Asia’s deeper integration into the global economy.  

The EU will continue to encourage and support the accession to the WTO of all Central Asian states. 
The implementation of WTO commitments will help Central Asian states to open up their economies, 
strengthen  their  international  competitiveness,  integrate  into  global  value  chains  and  participate  in 
shaping  global  economic  governance.  Creating  a  level-playing  field  and  increasing  confidence  for 
business  in the  region  will  include  promoting  accession  to the  Government  Procurement  Agreement 
(GPA) of the WTO.  

Building  upon  its  experience  in  regional  integration  mechanisms,  the  EU  will  support  efforts  to 
facilitate intra-regional trade and investment in Central Asia, including by sharing experience and 
best  practices  on  addressing  non-tariff  barriers  to  trade  and  promoting  regulatory  convergence  and 
harmonisation,  for  which  integration  in  the  International  Standardisation  Organisation  and 
International Electrotechnical Commission-led international standardisation system and a solid quality 
system have proven to be essential building blocks.   

The  EU  will  use  the  EPCAs  and  technical  cooperation  programmes  to  promote  convergence  or 
compatibility with EU rules and technical international and European standards and to remove 
technical barriers to trade. These efforts will facilitate reciprocal market access and create market 
access  opportunities  for  Central  Asian  economic  operators  at  the  global  scale,  as  EU  rules  and 
standards are recognised worldwide. Intensifying dialogue on sanitary and phytosanitary measures to 
strengthen food safety systems in Central Asian countries would be beneficial to local consumers and 
business and facilitate trade with the EU. 

The EU will continue to cooperate with Central Asian states to improve reciprocal market access for 
goods and services. The EU will step up efforts to help beneficiary countries of Central Asia to make 
better  use  of  the  unilateral  preferential  access  to  the  EU  market  provided  by  the  GSP  and  GSP+, 
which  can  stimulate  exports  and  economic  diversification  as  well  as  better  labour  standards  and 
working conditions, and adequately complement EPCAs. 

The  EU  will  step  up  cooperation  with  Central  Asia  to  promote  compliance  with  international 
customs  standards  of  the  EU,  the  World  Customs  Organisation  and  the  WTO  to  advance 
simplification and harmonisation of customs procedures. The EU will strengthen cooperation with the 
region  to  combat  illicit  trade,  border  and  tax  fraud,  tax  evasion  and  infringements  to  intellectual 
property rights. It will promote further exchange of information to strengthen the fight against money 
laundering, corruption and terrorism financing.    

Based on its experience, the EU will continue to promote the usage and development of Geographical 
Indications by Central Asian countries, which can help them to diversify their agricultural production 
towards higher added value.  

Specific initiatives in this area should include:   

  Intensifying  the  sharing  of  EU  experience  and  best  practices  on  addressing  non-tariff 

16   In 2018, the EU ranked among the top five  trade and investment partners of each  Central Asian states but 

trade with the region still represented less than one percent of total EU trade.   

17   Intra-regional trade accounted for 5% of the region's total trade in 2018. 

10 

 
 
                                                           
barriers to trade and promoting regulatory convergence and harmonisation   

  Supporting accession to the WTO and to the GPA, including through technical assistance  
  Intensifying  dialogue  on  sanitary  and  phytosanitary  measures  to  strengthen  food  safety 

systems 

  Sharing  experience  regarding  standardisation  and  quality  infrastructure  to  facilitate 

intraregional trade and trade with the EU   

  Promoting the simplification and harmonisation of customs procedures and supporting the 

development of cross-border e-commerce   

  Stepping up technical cooperation towards better use of the unilateral preferential access to 

the EU market provided by the GSP and GSP+  

  Sharing experience on Geographical Indications to help the diversification of agricultural 

production  

2.3.  

Promoting Sustainable Connectivity 

The development of Euro-Asian connectivity has the potential to bring significant benefits to Central 
Asia  through  better  infrastructure,  economic  diversification  and  integration  in  regional  and  global 
value chains. The EU has a strong interest in the development of functioning trade corridors between 
Europe and Asia as well as in ensuring that connectivity develops in a sustainable, open, inclusive and 
rules-based way, thus creating a suitable environment for sustainable investment and a level playing 
field for business in Central Asia. 

In  line  with  its  Strategy  on  Connecting  Europe  and  Asia18  and  using  existing  frameworks  of 
cooperation, the EU will, where appropriate, establish partnerships on sustainable connectivity with 
countries  of  Central  Asia,  following  market  principles,  guaranteeing  transparency  and  based  on 
international  standards.  Cooperation  in  this  area  should  mainly  focus  on  transport,  energy  and 
digital connections, as well as people-to-people contacts. It will help to bring sustainable benefits to 
Central Asia beyond the advantages associated with their status as transit countries, and help Central 
Asian countries to reach Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and climate targets. 

The  combination  of  European  private  investment  and  of  the  EU  regional  cooperation  programmes 
which have contributed to linking up Europe with its neighbourhood and Central Asia since the early 
nineties  have  made  the  EU  a  key  player  in  the  promotion  of  Euro-Asian  connectivity.  Renewed 
international efforts in this field, including the extension of the Trans-European Networks-Transport 
(TEN-T) to the EU's neighbouring countries, China’s Belt and Road Initiative and other initiatives, can 
create significant opportunities to address the major needs of Central Asia.  

The  EU  and  Central  Asian  countries  will  step  up  cooperation  and  ensure  synergies  in  planning  for 
transport connectivity and in laying down the necessary regulatory frameworks, including to connect 
the well-developed TEN-T framework with networks in Central Asia, including through the Southern 
Caucasus and to other regional networks19. This aims to achieve balanced and sustainable East-West 
and  North-South  land  transport  connections,  notably  building  upon  the  work  of  the  Central  Asian 
Regional  Economic  Cooperation.  To  achieve  this  objective,  the  EU  could  offer  technical  assistance 
and could contribute to sustainable infrastructure development as appropriate to help its partners plan 
their transport systems and ensure their interconnection. The EU will contribute to decarbonisation of 

18   Connecting Europe and Asia  – Building blocks  for an EU Strategy  – Council conclusions, 13097/18 of 15 

October 2018.  

19   Central  Asian  countries  will  be  consulted  on  the  Joint  Study  on  Sustainable  railway-based  Comprehensive 
Transport Corridors between Europe and China as determined in the framework of EU-China Connectivity 
Platform. 

11 

 
 
 
                                                           
land transport by promoting electric mobility, whether on road or rail, and will pay due attention to 
the development of air transport and civil aviation, including safety issues. 

Further EU-Central Asia cooperation in border management, including strengthened cooperation on 
modern  integrated  border  management,  as  well  as  the  promotion  of  compatible  customs  transit 
systems will underpin efforts to develop connectivity in transport.   

The EU will continue to focus on enhancing the role of Central Asia in contributing to the security of 
energy supply and diversification of suppliers, sources and routes of the EU, including assessing 
the  possibility  to  build  the  Trans-Caspian  Pipeline.  The  EU  will  cooperate  with  Central  Asia  to 
promote  the  regulatory  frameworks,  technologies  and  skills  required  to  lower  the  costs,  develop 
renewable energy sources and energy savings technologies and mobilise investment through blending 
and  other  financial  incentives.  The  EU  will  help  to  modernise  electricity  distribution  through  smart 
and  resilient  decentralised  grids  and  develop  interconnections  between  countries,  to  spur  regional 
and inter-regional electricity trade.     

The EU and Central Asia will enhance cooperation in the digital economy, with a focus on promoting 
access to affordable, open and secure broadband connectivity and to digital infrastructure, including 
adopting  the  necessary  regulatory  reforms;  supporting  the  development  and  maintenance  of  high 
capacity  research  and  education  networks;  promoting  digital  literacy  and  skills;  fostering  digital 
entrepreneurship  and  job  creation;  and  developing  areas  such  as  e-Government  and  e-Education. 
Given its cross-cutting nature, digitalisation will be a key aspect of EU cooperation with Central Asia 
in  areas  such  as  integrated  border  management,  public  administration  reform,  trade,  transport  and 
energy  infrastructure  as  well  as  SME  support.  The  EU  will  step  up  exchange  of  experience  in  the 
appropriate fora on freedom of the internet and the fight against disinformation.  

Cooperation  on  the  use  of  the  Galileo  satellite  positioning  navigation  and  timing  services  could 
facilitate transport connectivity and provide applications for energy and telecommunication networks.  

The EU will work closely together with third countries, regional organisations and international 
financial institutions to promote sustainability and a level playing field in connectivity to pursue the 
shared interests of Central Asia and the EU. The EU will look for synergies with other key partners 
involved in the promotion of Euro-Asian connectivity, including in the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) 
process. The commitment of the EU to supporting sustainable connectivity projects should contribute 
to enhancing the overall quality of investment projects from other actors in the region. 

The EU will use its financial instruments, grants and guarantees and EIB loans as well as work with 
International  Financial  Institutions  and  multilateral  development  banks  to  mobilise  public  and  in 
particular private capital for sustainable connectivity projects in Central Asia.  

12 

 
 
Specific initiatives in this area should include:  

  Strengthening  bilateral  and  inter-regional  cooperation  to  ensure  effective  sustainable 

connectivity 

  Contributing to the development of transport corridors between the EU and Central Asia, 

based on the extension of the TEN-T networks 

  Intensifying bilateral dialogues under existing Memorandums of Understanding on Energy 

Cooperation and organising as appropriate ad hoc regional conferences on energy   

  Using  innovative  financing  and  blending  to  further  encourage  green  investment,  in 

particular in renewable energy and energy efficiency 

  Using  EU  instruments  (such  as  grants,  blending  and  guarantees)  as  well  as  intensifying 
consultations  with  international  financial  organisations  and  other  relevant  actors  to 
underpin sustainable connectivity projects      

2.4.  

Investing in Youth, Education, Innovation and Culture  

The  development  of  skills  will  be  key  to  Central  Asia's  competitiveness  and  social  cohesion. 
Promoting quality education, employability and decent job opportunities for the young population and 
women of Central Asia should help the region to meet the demands of rapidly changing technologies 
and  provide  the  skilled  workforce  required  to  pursue  economic  diversification  and  attract  foreign 
investors.  Providing  quality  education  and  jobs,  including  in  rural  areas,  including  for  girls  and 
women,  will  remain  a  key  condition  to  prevent  the  emigration  of  skilled  workforce  as  well  as 
radicalisation and violent extremism.  

The EU will support inter and intra-regional cooperation to build capacity and to increase the quality 
of education, higher education and vocational education and training. It will promote synergies 
between education systems and the labour market as well as digital education.  

The EU can use the Erasmus+ programme to help Central Asian universities to modernise and meet 
the  targets  of  the  Bologna  process  on  higher  education  and  Torino  principles  on  vocational 
education  and  training.  The  EU  should  seek  to  develop  European  studies  in  Central  Asian 
universities.  EU  Member  States’  universities  should  be  encouraged  to  establish  more  partnerships 
and branches with Central Asian universities as well as develop language training in the region.  

The EU will explore the possibility to help Central Asia to develop a regional higher education area, 
drawing  from  the  example  of  the  European  Higher  Education  Area  (EHEA).  This  would  allow  the 
countries of the region to modernise their higher education systems, make them compatible with each 
other while strengthening their quality assurance and recognition mechanisms.  

The EU will strengthen cooperation on vocational education and training, in collaboration with the 
European  Training  Foundation,  to  promote  the  employability  of  young  people  and  of  adults  in  a 
lifelong learning perspective, to respond to the needs of the transforming economies of Central Asia 
and of European investors in the region.  

EU cooperation with Central Asia in research and innovation can help to tackle more effectively the 
region's challenges while enhancing people-to-people contacts. Exchanging know-how and innovative 
technologies in addressing climate, water and environmental challenges  as well as food security and 
clean  and renewable  energy  would  help to  advance regional  cooperation by  informing  policies  with 
sound,  reliable  and  accessible  evidence.  Strengthening  research  cooperation  in  agriculture,  health, 
green transport and sustainable urban development would also be mutually beneficial. EU and Central 
Asian  universities  and  research  organisations  should  further  promote  researchers’  mobility  and  staff 
exchanges including through the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions.  

13 

 
 
 
In line with the Strategy on Culture in the EU’s External Relations20, and building upon Central Asia’s 
cultural  heritage  of  the  “Silk  Road”  corridor,  the  EU  will  develop  cultural  cooperation  with  the 
region  to  promote  partnerships,  co-productions  and  exchanges  in  the  fields  of  cultural  and  creative 
industries,  inter-cultural  dialogue  and  cultural heritage  preservation. The  EU  will step  up  work  with 
the  United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation and leading European cultural 
institutions to that end. The EU will promote the mobility of artists and culture professionals through 
exchanges, training and residencies, while mobility and exchanges in sport could also be encouraged.   

The  EU  will  support  research  on  Central  Asia  and  on  EU-Central  Asia  relations  and  promote  more 
opportunities for interaction between researchers and think-tankers from the EU and Central Asia.  

Specific initiatives in this area should include:   

  Increasing  the  number  and  diversifying  the  profile  of  Central  Asian  beneficiaries  of  the 

Horizon, Erasmus+ and Marie Skłodowska-Curie programmes 

  Increasing  inter-  and  intra-regional  research  and  innovation  cooperation  in  the  areas  of 

water, food and the environment 

  Stimulating intra-regional and international mobility of students, staff and researchers, as 

well as learners and trainers in vocational education and training  

  Helping Central Asia to develop a regional cooperation scheme inspired from the EHEA 
  Establishing a dialogue and promoting exchange of best practices on youth employability, 

women empowerment and employment policies 

  Promoting  a  stronger  dialogue  between  EU,  Central  Asian  authorities,  business 

organisations and social partners on skills gaps and labour market modernisation 

3.  

WORKING BETTER TOGETHER  

The EU will aim to promote a coherent approach to Central Asia, making sure that sectoral policies 
help  to  address  increasingly  interlinked  challenges.  The  new  EU  Strategy  should  be  implemented 
jointly by EU institutions and Member States and more synergies should be established between their 
respective strengths and resources. 

Strengthening  the  Architecture  of  the  Partnership  and  Engaging  Civil  Societies  and 

3.1.  
Parliaments  

The current institutional set up of the inter-regional dialogue consists of the annual EU-Central Asia 
Foreign  Ministers’  Meeting,  with  the  High  Representative  of  the  Union  for  Foreign  Affairs  and 
Security  Policy/Vice-President  of  the  Commission  representing  the  EU,  and  the  annual  EU-Central 
Asia High-level Political and Security Dialogue held at vice-ministerial level.  

The High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice-President of the 
Commission and Central Asian Foreign Ministers should also meet informally, whenever necessary, 
on the sidelines of the annual meetings of the United Nations’ General Assembly (UNGA), meetings 
of the OSCE Ministerial Council and other international meetings and conferences. 

To complement this, ad hoc EU-Central Asia Senior Officials’ Meetings could be considered.  

20   Joint Communication to the European Parliament and the Council "Towards an EU strategy for international 

cultural relations", JOIN(2016) 29 final of 8 June 2016. 

14 

 
 
 
                                                           
The  institutional  framework  for  bilateral  relations  with  countries  of  Central  Asia  will  be 
strengthened  as  EPCAs  are  concluded  and  enter  into  force,  with  regular  dialogues  on  human  rights 
complementing regular meetings at ministerial and senior official level. 

As the EU and Central Asia share the same commitment to international law and a rules-based global 
order with the UN at its core, the EU will enhance cooperation in multilateral and regional fora.  

Given the constructive role that the European Parliament has played in enriching the common agenda 
of  the  EU-Central  Asia  partnership,  further  inter-parliamentary  dialogue  should  be  encouraged, 
including through regular visits. The EU will aim to organise more high-level visits to the region. 

The EU will also intensify efforts to promote closer engagement with civil society, think tanks, local 
governments, the business sector, social partners, cultural organisations, academics and youth. 
Civil  society  consultation  will  be  an  important  aspect  of  the  programming  of  EU  development 
cooperation,  which  will  seek  to  reinforce  the  ability  of  civil  society  to  promote  government 
accountability and transparency.  

The annual EU-Central Asia ministerial meeting could be complemented by meetings of an informal 
"EU-Central  Asia  Forum"  bringing  together  representatives  of  civil  society,  academics  and  think-
tankers as well as officials from the EU and Central Asia. These meetings would allow civil societies 
to contribute to the development of the EU-Central Asia partnership and increase its visibility.  

The  EU  will  intensify  consultations  on  Central  Asian  affairs  with  like-minded  and  other  relevant 
partners to develop mutual understanding and cooperation in areas where interests converge.  

Specific initiatives in this area should include:   

  Holding  ad  hoc  senior  officials'  meetings  in-between  the  regular  meetings  of  the  EU-

Central Asia High-level Political and Security Dialogue and Ministerial meetings 

  Organising  informal  ministerial  consultations  on  the  side-lines  of  UNGA  and  developing 
common understanding and convergence of positions in the UN and other multilateral fora 

  Intensifying consultations on Central Asian affairs as appropriate with third-partners 
  Involving  civil  society  further  in  the  development  of  the  EU-Central  Asia  partnership, 

including by establishing an informal "EU-Central Asia Forum" 
  Encouraging more frequent inter-parliamentary contacts and visits  

3.2.   Cooperating for High Impact 

The EU and its Member States have been a leading development cooperation partner for Central Asia 
in the last decade21. The EU will continue to use available financial instruments to support the region 
and help meet the challenges and maximise the opportunities of the EU-Central Asia partnership. The 
new  EU  Strategy for  Central  Asia  will  guide  the  EU’s  cooperation  with the region  in the coming 
years.  Meeting  commitments  under  the  United  Nations  2030  Agenda  for  Sustainable  Development 
will be a key element of EU engagement. Dialogue with civil society and local authorities will also 
contribute  to  the  definition  of  EU  priorities  for  Central  Asia.  More  synergy  with  Member  States’ 
policies towards the region, including development cooperation will be required.   

Development cooperation alone will not allow achieving the SDGs , and it will need to be used as a 
catalyst to attract private capital for growth. The EU should make the best possible use of its wider 

21   The  EU  has  allocated  €1.1  billion  to  development  cooperation  with  Central  Asia  under  the  budget  cycle 

2014-2020. 

15 

 
 
 
                                                           
development assistance toolbox in the region, including innovative modalities of cooperation such as 
twinning  and  a  greater  focus  on  investment.  EPCAs  will  provide  opportunities  for  an  intensified 
policy  dialogue  with  Central  Asian  countries  in  a  wide  range  of  sectors  that  will  contribute  to 
achieving the SDGs. 

Cooperation  with  International  Financial  Institutions  will  continue  to  play  an  important  role  in 
leveraging public and private financing for sustainable development in Central Asia.  

Specific initiatives in this area should include:   

  Organising  EU-Central  Asia  policy  dialogues  in  specific  sectors  and  supporting  these 

dialogues with twinning operations 

  Intensifying, where appropriate, cooperation with International Financial Institutions 

3.3.   Raising the Profile of the Partnership 

To raise the profile of the EU in Central Asia, the EU and its Member States need to develop a more 
dynamic and better-targeted communication strategy, presenting  the rationale behind its engagement 
and underlining the opportunities, which the EU-Central Asia partnership can bring to the region and 
to its citizens. This will notably require developing common messages and identifying communication 
opportunities,  including  through  social  media  and  other  new  communication  technologies,  for  the 
attention  of  the  young  people  of  the  region,  opinion-makers,  social  media  influencers,  civil  society, 
academics and the media at large. 

Specific initiatives in this area should include: 

  Developing more systematic common messaging and enhancing the use of web portals and 

of the social media to highlight the tangible benefits of EU engagement in the region  

The Council and the European Parliament are invited to endorse the approach and actions presented in 
this Joint Communication.  

*** 

16