Central Asian and European Leaders Issue Joint Press Statement
The presidents of the countries of Central Asia and the President of the European Council have concluded the second EU-Central Asia summit in Cholpon-Ata city. The leaders reaffirmed their commitment to continuing the high-level dialogue between Central Asia and the European Union, with the goal of developing the partnership in line with priority areas determined between the parties, leading to prosperity and security in Central Asia. They also expressed their satisfaction with the positive results of the latest EU-CA dialogues and platforms and stressed their readiness to continue ambitious cooperation based on mutual respect and mutual support.
The joint press communiqué adopted at the summit emphasized the importance of adhering to the UN Charter and the principles of respect for the independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity of all countries, the non-use of force or threat of its use, and the peaceful settlement of international disputes. The participants expressed their common concern about the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan and reaffirmed their commitment to making Afghanistan a secure, peaceful, stable, and prosperous country. In this regard, they recognized the efforts of the international community to provide assistance to the people of Afghanistan on a principled basis, despite difficult circumstances.
The parties called on the international community to intensify humanitarian assistance to the people of Afghanistan and noted the key role of the UN in providing humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan on a principled basis. They stressed the importance of establishing an inclusive and representative government, promoting and respecting the human rights and fundamental freedoms of all citizens of Afghanistan, and noted the importance of the dialogue between the European Union and Central Asia on Afghanistan.
The leaders also noted the need to enhance cooperation between Central Asia and the European Union on old, new, and emerging challenges, as outlined in the EU Strategy for Central Asia. They instructed their Foreign Ministers and EU High Representative Josep Borrell to formalize and advance the implementation of a joint roadmap to deepen ties between the European Union and Central Asia, reaffirming their joint commitment to work towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. They stressed the importance of diversifying and achieving sustainable connectivity goals in line with the Global Gateway strategy and further expanding mutual trade and investment mechanisms to accelerate the social and economic development of all parties.
The presidents of the countries of the region stressed the importance of close dialogue in the context of the EU sanctions regime. The participants confirmed their interest in strengthening joint actions for the full and effective implementation of the obligations of the parties under the Paris Agreement. The leaders also recognized water as one of the most important resources for the peace and well-being of the peoples of Central Asia and noted the need to take into account the interests of the countries and peoples of the region to find a common solution for its sustainable use, reaffirming the importance of joint work to expand people-to-people connections, especially youth, in Europe and Central Asia.
The leaders agreed to meet on a regular basis, with an intention to hold the next meeting in the format of the first summit next year, proposed to be held in Uzbekistan.
