The Institute was proud to partner with the Institute for Strategic and Regional Studies (Uzbekistan) and the EUSR Central Asia to convene the first EU–Central Asia Strategic Institutes Forum in Brussels.
The event brought together experts from all five Central Asian republics and the EU to discuss how best to navigate global geopolitical and geoeconomic headwinds, build resilience, and strengthen trusted partnerships that underpin deeper cooperation.
Participants explored how both regions can strengthen resilience and diversify partnerships by leveraging their respective potential and adapting, rather than simply defending against systemic challenges.
They stressed the need to move from ambition to practical cooperation within the framework of the new strategic partnership agreed last year in Samarkand.
Connectivity featured prominently, given the growing potential of the Middle Corridor in global trade. Critical raw materials are another key area of cooperation, with participants emphasising the need to think in terms of developing integrated, sustainable and clean value chains, alongside industrial cooperation and technology transfer.
Participants also agreed that deepening educational, cultural and research ties will help build greater trust, facilitating credible, long-term investment in sustained and enhanced cooperation.