EU’s chase for new partners: von der Leyen bets on Central Asia and announces 12 billion investment

Brussels – Three years of trying hard to cut ties with Russia, only to find itself stabbed in the back by the American historic ally. Squeezed between new and old great powers that are making their voices heard, the EU struggles and tries to build new relationships and trade. The priority is no longer the export of democracy but rather the search for trade partners and suppliers of energy and critical raw materials that can be trusted. Thus, the first summit with Central Asian countries in Samarkand in the aftermath of Trump’s tariffs is tinged with geopolitical and economic significance.

“New global barriers arise; powers worldwide are carving out new spheres of influence. But here in Samarkand, we show that there is another way,” said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in her address to the leaders of the former Soviet republics of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Brussels and the Central Asia Five have launched a new strategic partnership, and von der Leyen announced that the European Commission will invest €12 billion in the region.

From consolidating the trans-Caspian transport corridor to supporting new mining projects, the package includes investments of 3 billion in transportation, 2.5 billion for critical raw materials, 6.4 billion for clean energy, and 100 million for digital connectivity. “Your countries are endowed with immense resources,” said von der Leyen, rubbing her hands together with glee, “40 per cent of the world’s manganese reserves, as well as lithium, graphite and more. Materials that all major powers have their eyes on because they are the “lifeblood of the future global economy.”

In the lengthy speech, von der Leyen sought to untether the EU from those countries “interested only in exploitation and extraction,” putting “a different offer” on the plate, made of developing local industries, creating local jobs and added value. The EU leader gave the example of the Almalyk copper mine in Uzbekistan, where European companies have invested €1.6 billion in local mining and processing. “Together, we could build local industries along the entire raw materials value chain, from extraction to refining. From opening new research laboratories to training local workers,” von der Leyen continued. All was put in black and white in the joint statement of intent on critical raw materials approved at the summit.

Then, there is the chapter on energy supply.

Von der Leyen’s vision is of a Central Asia “clean energy hub: wind in Kazakhstan, solar in Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, hydro in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan.” Half of the total investments in the EU package are dedicated to developing massive projects such as the Rogun Dam in Tajikistan, the “highest in the world,” and the Kambarata Dam in Kyrgyzstan.

With this approach, the EU seeks to recover ground on Russia’s historical influence but especially on China, which—as it has already done in Africa and Latin America—has quietly imposed its commercial supremacy. “Russia has long since proven that it can no longer be a reliable partner,” von der Leyen said at a brief press conference, reiterating that “in the past, China and Russia extracted raw materials here that they then processed in their own country, without any added value locally.”

The European Union is the second largest trading partner of the five in Central Asia, behind only Beijing, but the largest investor (over 40 per cent of investment in the region comes from the EU). China’s penetration of markets worldwide is not only unfocused on local value creation but is also untethered from its partners’ strategic positions on the international chessboard and respect for democratic principles and human rights in their countries.

António Costa, il presidente dell’Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev e Ursula von der Leyen

The risk is that, particularly the latter aspect, will also fail in the European strategy, now that Brussels suddenly feels alone and in danger. “The principles laid down in the UN Charter are not just words on paper, but represent the shared commitment of nations to prevent conflict, promote peace, and safeguard the well-being of our citizens,” recalled European Council President Antonio Costa in his speech. In the joint statement approved at the end of the summit, the EU and Central Asia stressed “the importance of reaching a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine as soon as possible” and agreed to “continue to cooperate to prevent the circumvention of sanctions” on Russia.

“At the heart of relations” between the EU and the five former Soviet republics also remain “respect for freedom of expression and association, a favourable environment for civil society and independent media, protection of human rights defenders, as well as respect for women’s rights, children’s rights, and labour rights,” the document says. It is hard not to note that, in reality, in all five Central Asian countries, the criticalities from these points of view remain many and serious and have also been brought to light in recent years by the European Parliament on several occasions.

In January 2022, the EU Parliament approved a resolution on the protests and violence in Kazakhstan, reiterating strong concern about human rights violations and “the widespread use of torture.” On several occasions, it spoke out on Kyrgyzstan, whose government recently imposed a Russian-style law on “foreign representatives” and one on “false information”. Last December, MEPs stressed that the country should adhere to the democratic standards agreed under the enhanced partnership and cooperation agreement with the EU. The same goes for Turkmenistan and Tajikistan: with regard to the former, the European Parliament has so far blocked the Partnership Agreement because of the precarious human rights situation, while for the latter, it adopted in January 2024 a resolution on state repression against independent media.

Finally, despite decisive progress on the democratic front, it is not all sunshine and roses in Uzbekistan either: President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, host of the summit, strengthened relations with Russia and signed an agreement with Moscow on extending military-technical cooperation with a commitment to jointly procure military goods, military equipment, research, and assistance. Uzbekistan refrained from condemning the Russian invasion of Ukraine at the UN, officially adopting a neutral stance.