What did EU and Central Asian leaders say at the Samarkand summit?

On April 4, the first European Union — Central Asia summit was held in the city of Samarkand. The event was attended by the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen and the presidents of Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan.

Speaking at the summit, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen announced that the EU would allocate 10 billion dollars for the Trans-Caspian transport corridor.

“In our strategic partnership with Central Asia, I must especially mention four areas. The first of these is transport corridors. We have allocated 10 billion dollars for the Trans-Caspian transport corridor. We will assist in the construction of energy stations using wind in Kazakhstan, and solar power in Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan.

Dear presidents, we can be good partners in the four areas I mentioned — transport corridors, clean energy, critical raw materials, and digital connectivity,” said Ursula von der Leyen.

President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev expressed support for the launch of peace talks regarding Ukraine.

“Increasing transcontinental connectivity is our main task. In recent years, Kazakhstan has become much more active in the Trans-Caspian corridor. The volume of goods transported through this corridor has increased by 62%. Kazakhstan continues to be one of the main countries exporting hydrocarbons to Europe. Additionally, within our national strategy, we plan to build a nuclear power plant. The nuclear plant is necessary to ensure our energy security.

Kazakhstan supports the peaceful resolution of conflicts. We support the initiation of peace talks on Ukraine and send our greetings. We hope for a positive outcome. We are aware of all the complex aspects of this conflict,” said Tokayev.

President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov said that the country had built 18 small hydroelectric power plants in recent years, and plans to build another 15 in the near future.

“On March 31, we signed a trilateral border agreement. This was a big step for regional stability and security. We are launching major projects in energy, tourism, and agriculture. Our country also has a large hydro-energy potential. We produce approximately 142 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually.

We are interested in cooperating with the European Union in renewable energy and energy-efficient technologies. In recent years, we built 18 small hydroelectric plants, and we will build another 15 soon.

The China–Kyrgyzstan–Uzbekistan railway will connect Europe and Asia and shorten distances. We welcome the EU’s transport connectivity initiative and its funding for it,” said Japarov.

President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon stated that the country would become a 100 percent “green state” by 2037.

“For Tajikistan, the energy sector — particularly hydropower and renewable energy — is extremely important for the country's future development. We appreciate the EU’s support for the infrastructure development program to transmit electricity to South Asia, particularly the CASA-1000 project.

By 2037, Tajikistan will become a fully green state. By 2032, we will fully supply electricity through renewable sources. As landlocked countries, we value the initiative to create and develop transport corridors. For example, 93 percent of Tajikistan’s territory consists of mountains,” said Emomali Rahmon.

Continuing his speech at the summit, the President of Tajikistan also raised the issue of Afghanistan:

“The security and stability of Central Asia is undoubtedly directly related to the situation in Afghanistan. The economy of this country is unstable, and people are living in difficult humanitarian conditions. The number of people in urgent need of humanitarian aid is increasing in all provinces. The suppression of women’s rights and freedoms is putting their future at risk.

We absolutely do not want a wave of instability to be exported to us from Afghanistan. As a neighbor of Afghanistan, Tajikistan has always stated that this country should not become a territory of terrorism or drug trafficking,” said Emomali Rahmon.

President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov mentioned his country’s neutrality and proposed supplying raw materials, oil, and gas to Europe.

“Turkmenistan is ready to act based on its neutral status. We propose moving toward joint efforts to combat new threats. These include information and cyberattacks, as well as biological security issues.

We offer to supply raw materials, oil, and gas to Europe. We support initiating a dialogue on renewable energy and its potential. Turkmenistan is ready to increase electricity production and supply it to Europe.

There are many things Central Asia can offer to Europe. Trade and economic cooperation now need to be seriously reconsidered in terms of its efficiency,” said Serdar Berdimuhamedov. Follow “Zamin” news on “Telegram”