On 16 July, the European Union and the five Central Asian countries — Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan — held their 13th High-Level Political and Security Dialogue in Brussels, chaired by Olof Skoog, Deputy Secretary-General for Political Affairs at the European External Action Service. The meeting reaffirmed the EU's commitment to deepening its strategic partnership with the region, building on the Joint Roadmap for Deepening Ties between the EU and Central Asia of October 2023 and the first EU-Central Asia Summit in April 2025. The EU stressed the importance of enhancing resilience through effective governance, rule of law, accountable institutions, and inclusive economic development, while upholding international law, UN Charter principles, and respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The dialogue covered global and regional developments, including Russia's war against Ukraine, the situation in the Middle East, and Afghanistan. Both sides welcomed the growing momentum in political engagement and agreed to continue addressing common security challenges as a key pillar of the partnership. They welcomed ongoing EU programmes supporting border management, counter-terrorism, countering violent extremism, combating illegal drug trafficking, and strengthening cybersecurity. Sustainable connectivity, secure transport corridors, energy security, and digital transformation were recognized as increasingly important for regional resilience and prosperity.
The meeting was attended by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Arman Issetov, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Tajikistan Idibek Kalandar, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan Ahmet Gurbanov, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan Muzaffarbek Madrakhimov, and Ambassador of the Kyrgyz Republic to the EU Aidit Erkin.