EU, Central Asian states deepen strategic and security ties in Brussels

The European Union and the nations of Central Asia have convened in Brussels for the 13th meeting of the annual High-Level Political and Security Dialogue, signalling a mutual intent to broaden institutional cooperation.

According to a statement released by the European Union delegation to Tajikistan, the EU utilised the summit to reaffirm its explicit commitment to further deepening its strategic partnership with the states of the region. This expanding framework builds directly upon the Joint Roadmap for Deepening EU-Central Asia Relations adopted in October 2023, alongside the established diplomatic baselines from the inaugural EU-Central Asia summit held in April 2025.

During the plenary sessions, the participating delegations reviewed the broader international and regional security agendas. Key areas of evaluation included the ongoing situation surrounding Ukraine, developments across the Middle East, and the security environment in Afghanistan. The negotiators formally noted the growing momentum of their bilateral political interaction and explicitly confirmed their intention to sustain joint operations to address shared security challenges.

The EU delegation further noted that the participants welcomed long-term cooperation under specialised European Union programs. These targeted initiatives remain focused on strengthening regional border management, countering terrorism and extremism, combating illicit drug trafficking, and advancing cybersecurity infrastructure.

Furthermore, individual delegates emphasised the escalating strategic importance of cross-border transport corridors, energy security, and digital transformation initiatives as necessary pillars to guarantee the sustainable economic development of Central Asia.

The European Union explicitly highlighted the necessity of strengthening state resilience through the implementation of effective governance, the rule of law, and accountable public institutions. European officials noted that this domestic resilience must be paired with an explicit adherence to international law, the principles of the UN Charter, and absolute respect for national sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The high-level meeting was chaired by Olof Skoog, the Deputy Secretary-General of the European External Action Service for Political Affairs. The regional delegations were led by the deputy foreign ministers of Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, alongside the Ambassador of Kyrgyzstan to the European Union.

By Tamilla Hasanova