Central Asia

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa travelled to Uzbekistan to participate in a landmark EU–Central Asia summit. Held on 3–4 April, the event brings together EU leaders with the heads of state and government of the five Central Asian republics. Alongsidei the host, Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, the summit was also attended by Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov, Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, and Turkmen President Serdar Berdimuhamedov.

On 27 March 2025, the Foreign Ministers of the Republic of Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, the Republic of Uzbekistan, the Deputy Foreign Ministers of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Kyrgyz Republic, as well as the European Union’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas held their 20th European Union-Central Asia Ministerial meeting in Ashgabat in Turkmenistan. The ministers discussed the preparations for the organisation of the first EU-Central Asia Summit on 4 April 2025 in Samarkand in Uzbekistan, which will demonstrate their commitment to deepening ties with the EU, at the highest level, materialising closer strategic cooperation, and marking an important step in the intensification of EU-Central Asia relations.