European Union - Central Asia

On March 28, the Central Asia - European Union Ministerial was held in Ashgabat. At a press conference, EU Foreign Policy Chief Kaia Kalas said that Brussels is ready to invest more than 10 billion euros in the development of the "Middle Corridor".

On April 3-4, the European Union - Central Asia Summit will be held in Samarkand. For the first time since the collapse of the USSR, the leaders of Central Asian countries will meet with the leaders of the European Union at the highest level and discuss the prospects for developing a strategic partnership.

On March 26, before Kalas arrived in Ashgabat, Tokayev met with a representative of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China in Astana, with whom he discussed Xi Jinping's upcoming visit in June 2025, when the second China - Central Asia Summit is scheduled to take place. Beijing sees Kazakhstan as a key country in realizing its Eurasian interests. The Belt and Road Initiative began there in due course.

At the same time, on March 28, Russia announced that Russian giant Tatneft would participate in the privatization of the Pavlodar and Atyrau oil refineries. Russia is betting on economic revitalization instead of diplomatic summits. It is working with China on a project aimed at creating a logistics hub in the East Kazakhstan region, building a new airport in the Kazakh city of Zaisan, a river port in the settlement of Tugil, and a railway border crossing point on the border of China, Kazakhstan, and Russia.

The Samarkand summit may show us how ready the European Union is for a systematic and long-term relationship with Central Asia. Brussels must prove that its offer is not a temporary display of diplomatic activity, but the beginning of a full-fledged strategic presence.

Let us recall that, despite the hype surrounding the "Middle Corridor", the volume of cargo flows transported along this route does not exceed 5% of the volume of cargo flows transported through the "Northern Corridor". Increasing this figure requires fundamental reforms in the countries located along the "Middle Corridor", the implementation of which - at least in the near future - I doubt. These are the former Soviet countries that must overcome the Soviet legacy, primarily in thinking. And on this path, Georgia appears as an "ally" of the European Union, at least in terms of location - naturally, by itself, without any effort. It is unimaginable that what is happening in Georgia at this time is happening - I mean the actions of the government, its vision, its aspirations.

Dato Gochava

Railway Professionals Club