The European Union High Representative for Foreign Policy, Josep Borrell, begins a visit to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan on Wednesday, where he will participate in regional forums and seek closer ties with Central Asian countries.
The tour begins in Astana, where he will meet on Thursday with Kazakh President Kasim Tokayev. On the same day he is expected in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, where he will address the EU-Central Asia ministerial meeting with Uzbek Foreign Minister Vladimir Norov.
This meeting will serve to increase cooperation with the countries of the region in areas such as security, trade, transport and green energy. The situation in Ukraine, after almost nine months of Russian aggression, and the crisis in Afghanistan, will be included in the meeting with countries historically close to Moscow and which are key to the Kremlin’s international narrative.
For Friday, Borrell will be leading the EU-Central Asia Connectivity conference, focusing on ‘Global Gateway’ infrastructure projects. Digital connectivity, transport and energy issues will mark the agenda.
In the margins of these meetings, the head of European diplomacy is expected to hold contacts with representatives of other countries in the region, such as Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Turkmenistan.
