2025 European Union–Central Asia summit
2025 EU–Central Asia summit
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The 2025 European Union–Central Asia summit was a summit held on 3–4 April 2025 in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.[1] It was the first summit meeting between the European Union and the Central Asian nations of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.[2] The summit increased cooperation in areas of shared interest such as economic development, human rights, and political repression in Central Asia.[3]
| 2025 European Union–Central Asia summit | |
|---|---|
| Host country | Uzbekistan |
| Date | 3–4 April 2025 |
| Participants | European Union, Central Asian states |
| Key points | |
New EU–Central Asia Strategic Partnership adopted, US$13.2 billion EU investment package, calls for human rights progress | |
Participants
- Serdar Berdimuhamedow (Turkmen: Serdar Berdimuhamedow) (Turkmenistan, President)
- António Costa (Portuguese: António Luís Santos da Costa) – (European Council, President)
- Sadyr Japarov (Kyrgyz: Садыр Жапаров) (Kyrgyzstan, President)
- Shavkat Mirziyoyev (Uzbek: Shavkat Miromonovich Mirziyoyev) (Uzbekistan, President)
- Ursula von der Leyen (German: Ursula von der Leyen) – (European Commission, President)
- Emomali Rahmon (Tajik: Эмомалӣ Раҳмон) (Tajikistan, President)
- Odile Renaud-Basso (French: Odile Renaud-Basso) – (European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, President)
- Kassym-Jomart Tokayev (Kazakh: Қасым-Жомарт Тоқаев) (Kazakhstan, President)
The event was hosted by Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev on 3–4 April 2025 in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.[4]
Outcomes
The summit ended with the launch of the EU–Central Asia Strategic Partnership, a plan for political and economic cooperation. The European Union pledged $13.2 billion to support infrastructure development, green energy, and technology projects designed to promote regional growth.[5] The European Union urged Central Asian countries to improve political freedoms, human rights, and judicial fairness.[6][7]
The summit showed some tensions among Turkic states over Northern Cyprus because the Central Asian countries established diplomatic relations with Cyprus and Turkey was against it.[8][9][10]
European leaders called the summit the beginning of a new phase of cooperation between Europe and Central Asia. Central Asian leaders welcomed closer ties, and opportunities for cultural exchanges as well as new investment and growth.[11][12]