EU Cooperation Programmes for Central Asia: New Challenges and Responses

Abstract

This article aims to analyse EU cooperation programmes for Central Asia, placing emphasis on the importance of cross-regional cooperation in creating a favourable environment for business development and foreign investment, aligning those cooperation programmes with the UN Sustainable development agenda and the implementation of the universal Sustainable Development goals. The author highlights regional and local social and institutional characteristics focusing on EU-Central Asia cooperation. The article assesses the importance of cross-regional cooperation in creating a favourable environment for both business development and foreign investment, and provides analysis on EU-Kazakhstan cooperation. The author applies the monographic method, as well as the graphical method, secondary data analysis, and the qualitative method in the form of an expert interview. The author concludes that the relationship between the European Union and Central Asia is of global significance and their ties are likely to increase in strength in the future bearing in mind, notably, Russia’s and China’s interest in retaining Central Asian countries within their own sphere of political and economic influence. The author puts forward proposals that additional EU multidimension external programmes are paramount for the EU’s and Central Asia’s productive relations.