EU - Central Asia

The EESC stresses the need for a comprehensive, cohesive and co-ordinated EU strategy for developing and building effective contact between EU civil society and that in Central Asia.

It also recommends that a formal mechanism be set up through the EEAS involving the EESC in the process of identifying potential partners among civil society organisations in the region as well as establishing cooperation with them (to maximise the use of all expertise available across the EU institutions).

The Committee expresses strong support for the EU Human Rights Dialogue Process, as an early, positive result of the EU's Central Asia Strategy, and asks to be included in this process as soon as and wherever possible.

Civil society's involvement in the implementation of the potential trade agreements with each of the five states of Central Asia should be based on the pattern of Civil Society Forums created for agreements with other regions and countries of the world.

The EESC also draws attention to the potential role of the EU in encouraging the states of Central Asia to tackle holistically problems relating to water and food security and energy, and calls for a realistic approach on the part of the EU towards the potential of energy supply from the region.

Recognising the fact that the majority of the population of the region is under 25, it calls for cooperation to be stepped up in the area of education.