scholarly journals European Union and Central Asia: new trends of cooperation in current circumstances

Author(s):  
Assima AUBAKIR ◽  
Tuleutay SULEIMENOV

Determination of clear contours of European policy for Central Asia, which could satisfy the interests of both the European Union and the countries of the region, took quite a long time, and is still at the stage of forming common approaches to the implementation of mutually beneficial cooperation. The first program documents of the European Union in relation to Central Asia, called strategies, were to a greater extent only action plans aimed at maintaining its political and economic presence in the region. Meanwhile, the Central Asian countries are always interested in pragmatic interaction with the European Union on equal basis. In 2019, the European Union adopted a new Strategy for Central Asia, which replaced the previous 2007 document. According to European politicians, it marks a new stage in relations between the two regions with improved approaches to building interaction between them. The purpose of the article is to analyze new trends in relations between Central Asia and the European Union from the point of view of both participants of this process and the evolution of the relevant EU policy documents.

2020 ◽  
pp. 72-79
Author(s):  
S. Gavrilova

For several decades, the European Union has been steadily increasing its presence in Central Asian countries. The EU's interests in the region are due to a number of reasons, including the desire to expand its influence in the Central Asian countries, the high importance of the region as a transit corridor between Europe and China, the prospects for economic cooperation, and the importance of the region's energy potential. In May 2019 The European Union has presented a new Strategy for Central Asia, designed to intensify cooperation in a number of areas of interaction. The new strategy is aimed at both implementing these interests and expanding cooperation in a number of other areas.


Author(s):  
L. Gusev

In this paper the author considers policy of the European Union in the Central Asia. The author analyzes an updated EU strategy for the Central Asia and emphasizes its pragmatism, based on individual economic interests of the Central Asian countries in promoting bilateral relations. In the offered paper is also considered the evolution of the EU policy in the Central Asia.


China Report ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 55 (4) ◽  
pp. 328-344
Author(s):  
Shabnam Dadparvar ◽  
Hamidreza Azizi

China has traditionally had close relations with Central Asia for quite a long time. The main reasons for this are probably their social, cultural, and demographic bonds, as well as geographical proximity, providing China with a different status in Central Asia from those of the other regions in the world. These bonds have also been strengthened by the ancient Silk Road, beginning in China and passing through Central Asia and Iran towards Europe. Cultural relations, in general, and China’s attempt to expand its means of soft power in the region, in particular, have been a significant aspect of the ties between China and the Central Asian countries. It has drawn attention, especially over the recent decade, and has manifested in various forms. By focussing on the dimension of relations between China and the Central Asian countries, this article addresses the question of what does China try to achieve by expanding its soft power in Central Asia? The article argues that China has focussed on the expansion of its soft power and the consolidation of cultural ties with the Central Asian countries to expand its influence in the region and, eventually, to rise as a new centre of power in the international system. Following a conceptual discussion on the definition of soft power, the article analyses the status of soft power in China’s foreign policy and then, the representations of China’s soft power in Central Asia. Finally, the essay discusses the effects of the soft power factor on the expansion of Chinese influence in the region.


Author(s):  
Anna Sergeevna Iuniushkina ◽  
Tat'yana Ivanovna Pon'ka ◽  
Kristina Alekseevna Shapovalova

This article explores the role of Central Asia in modern conditions, which significantly increases in geopolitical and geoeconomic aspect. Attention is given to the general security challenges of Central Asian countries, as this region requires the coordination of efforts of the leading global actors, as well as Central Asian countries themselves. Security issues associated with vulnerability of Central Asian countries to natural disasters and emergency situations that may occur as a result of territorial disputes, ethnic violence, drug trafficking, and terrorism prevention, fight against extremism underline the need for multilateral cooperation aimed at solution of general problems. The novelty of this research lies in the fact that after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, which changed the world political map, the newly formed Central Asian countries gave acquired statehood on the international arena. Namely during this difficult period, the Central Asian countries were forced to choose their own development path. Russia and China, to certain extent, have confirmed their presence in the region by creating the economic and military integration institutions with participation of Central Asian countries. Therefore, the emphasis is placed on the analysis of interaction between China and Russia in the post-Soviet Central Asia, their role in ensuring regional stability and economic growth. The article also examines the importance of studying the role of the United States and the European Union in Central Asia.


2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 007-014
Author(s):  
Assima Aubakir

Today, the Central Asian region is once again becoming a point of attraction for the interests of the international community—in geopolitical, as well as in trade and economic terms. The interests of major world powers intersect here, and each has its own approach to establishing relations with the regional countries. The European Union, which never considered this region a geopolitical priority, has been implementing its own Central Asia Strategy since 2007. In July 2017, the Council of the European Union decided to completely revise the Strategy based on new realities, as well as the ambitions and priorities of the regional states in their relations with the EU. A new strategy for relations between the European Union and Central Asia was adopted in June 2019. The revision of the strategy is slated to allow the EU to strengthen its cooperation with the Central Asian countries, highlight the most effective projects, and revise those aspects of interaction that did not bring the desired results. Currently, there is an intensification of intra-regional cooperation in Central Asia; there are positive trends in the development of dialog on important issues of the regional agenda. For this reason, the approaches and tools of European diplomacy in the implementation of its policy in Central Asia are expected to undergo significant adjustments as the Strategy is updated. The subject of this article is precisely this transit period in the relations between the European Union and Central Asia.


2021 ◽  
Vol 02 (06) ◽  
pp. 139-149
Author(s):  
Ye.V. Shukusheva ◽  

With the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Central Asian countries (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan) faced certain difficulties caused by the so-called "shortage" of qualified personnel and the need to modernize the educational system in these countries, inherited from the USSR. Since education was the dominant factor in the development of the economy for the newly independent new republics. And one of the main conditions for the integration of the educational systems of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan into the international higher education zone was international cooperation with the European Union. The article presents the experience of cooperation between the European Union and the Central Asian countries in the field of education, on the example of the participation of the Central Asian region in the educational programs of the European Union (Tempus, Erasmus Mundus, Erasmus+, Jean Monnet). The relevance of the research topic is determined by the role of higher education in bilateral cooperation between the European Union and the Central Asian countries (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan). The purpose of the study is to reveal the peculiarities of the development of educational cooperation between the European Union and Central Asia, in the context of the implementation of EU educational programs in the region. The main conclusions of the study were the presented indicators of participation of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan in the EU educational programs, which had a significant impact on the reform of educational systems in the countries of the region and contributed to the further development of partnerships between EU universities and Central Asian countries.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 110-121
Author(s):  
Karlygash MUKHTAROVA ◽  
Yermukhambet KONUSPAYEV ◽  
Klara MAKASHEVA ◽  
Karim SHAKIROV

Improving the forms and mechanisms of regional economic integration, deepening the mutual understanding on the formation of an economically and politically secure integrated space, expanding trade and economic relations, elaborating joint actions to maintain regional peace and stability, creating a single information space are among the key areas that have become the basis of cooperation among the Central Asian region (CAR) states. The authors reveal the positive aspects of cooperation among the CAR countries—Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Tajikistan. First and foremost, these include common historical roots, linguistic and cultural similarity, convenient geographical location and established economic ties, which allow the states of Central Asia (CA) to establish a deeper and more active understanding of each other, to solve economic and political problems related to finding and realizing domestic investment potential and expanding regional trade and economic ties. The joint establishment of international transport corridors and infrastructure will help reduce the transport costs for Central Asian countries that supply export products to external markets, which is an important area of ​​cooperation in Central Asia. In addition, the economic problems that exist among the regional countries largely determine the nature of relations between them. Future solution of problems determines the subsequent viability of the Central Asian Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) and the regional development prospects. Based on the use of economic research tools, the authors examine the problems caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and their impact on the state of trade and economic relations between the regional states. Post-crisis plans for economic recovery in the Central Asian countries will be developed and implemented in the context of the need to solve the present-day problems associated with the gradual lifting of quarantine measures. In this regard, the quickest possible transition of economies to an upward growth trajectory should launch the expansion of trade and economic cooperation and ties among the Central Asian countries. The authors emphasize the fact that another important problem within CAREC is the fact that CAR economies are dominated by raw materials, which does not solve the problems of reducing social inequality and improving the welfare of the regional population. For this reason, Kazakhstan, like other Central Asian countries, is currently in search of a new economic model. The transformation is crucial because the country needs to overcome its excessive long-term dependence on the export of oil and raw materials. The new economic model should be focused on further industrialization and diversification of the economy, on the search for new innovative approaches and development strategies.


2021 ◽  
pp. 48-52
Author(s):  
M. M. Butakova ◽  
O. N. Sokolova

The article is devoted to researching and assessing the state of affairs, identifying problems and prospects for Russia’s presence in the markets of Central Asian countries. The relevance of the problem is connected with the goals of maintaining the export positions of the Russian Federation in this market and with the goals of increasing the volume of non-resource non-energy exports. The authors investigated the dynamics and structure of world and Russian exports to the countries of Central Asia, highlighted the dominant commodity groups of Russian exports for each importing country. As a result of the study of the territorial aspect and the related specifics of trade and economic relations, it was concluded that a deeper study of export opportunities and prospects of Russian regions bordering on countries-importers of Russian products in Central Asia was made. The article outlines the problems of increasing competition in the markets of Central Asia and the negative impact on the prospects of Russian exports of falling incomes of the population and reducing market capacity due to the pandemic, the need to take a set of measures to maintain Russia’s competitive position in this market. As a result the studies of the problems of the development of Russian exports the authors came to the conclusion that it is mutually beneficial and promising, to increase the supply Russian products to the countries of Central Asia the need to find ways to increase its efficiency, and strengthen state support for non-resource non-energy exports.


Author(s):  
A. S. Yufereva ◽  
◽  
Iu. S. Kukharenko ◽  

This article provides a systematization and specification of the established communication technologies used by Yekaterinburg universities, public and state institutions in order to adapt students to the academic and cultural environment. The study involved a group of methods, as a result of which the features of the use of communication technologies by universities, public and social institutions when interacting with students from Central Asian countries, as well as their subsequent adaptation to the educational, social, and cultural environment in general, were revealed.


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