EU and Central Asia to discuss political and security issues in Ashgabat
On July 9, the fifth High Level Political and Security Dialogue between the European Union and the countries of Central Asia will be held in Ashgabat. This format of inter-regional communication between Europe and Central Asia has been regularly held since 2013 with the participation of deputy foreign ministries of Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. In accordance with the established practice, representatives of Afghanistan are also invited to the Dialogue as special guests. The dialogue reflects the mutual interest of the European Union and the mentioned countries in strengthening cooperation in the field of stability and coordination of views on issues of international and regional political agenda. Also, the dialogue serves as a kind of synchronization of positions in line with the implementation of the EU Strategy and development programs in Central Asia. The number of such projects focused on security, for example, include the programme BOMCA for Central Asia on border management, cross-border cooperation and facilitation of trade. The EU also supports its Central Asian partners in countering drug trafficking through the Central Asia Drug Action Programme (CADAP) and a trans-regional programme EU Action against Drugs and Organised Crime (EU-ACT).
