EU leaders hold their first summit with Central Asian states
EU leaders hold their first summit with Central Asian states
In this photo released by Uzbekistan’s Presidential Press Office, Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, center, European Council President Antonio Costa, left, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, right, pose for a photo prior the first summit between the leaders of the EU and the five countries of Central Asia in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, Thursday, April 3, 2025. (Uzbekistan’s Presidential Press Office via AP)
This photo released by Uzbekistan’s Presidential Press Office, offers a view of the first summit between the leaders of the EU and the five countries of Central Asia in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, on Friday, April 4, 2025. (Uzbekistan’s Presidential Press Office via AP)
In this photo released by Uzbekistan’s Presidential Press Office, from left: Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, European Council President Antonio Costa, Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Turkmenistan President Serdar Berdimuhamedow and Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov pose for a photo prior the first summit between the leaders of the EU and the five countries of Central Asia in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, on Friday, April 4, 2025. (Uzbekistan’s Presidential Press Office via AP)
In this photo released by Uzbekistan’s Presidential Press Office, Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, right, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen talk to each other prior to the first summit between the leaders of the EU and the five countries of Central Asia in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, Thursday, April 3, 2025. (Uzbekistan’s Presidential Press Office via AP)
In this photo released by Uzbekistan’s Presidential Press Office, Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, center, European Council President Antonio Costa, left, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, right, pose for a photo prior the first summit between the leaders of the EU and the five countries of Central Asia in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, Thursday, April 3, 2025. (Uzbekistan’s Presidential Press Office via AP)
In this photo released by Uzbekistan’s Presidential Press Office, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, arrives to attend the first summit between the leaders of the EU and the five countries of Central Asia in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, on Friday, April 4, 2025. (Uzbekistan’s Presidential Press Office via AP)
In this photo released by Uzbekistan’s Presidential Press Office, from left: Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, European Council President Antonio Costa, Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Turkmenistan President Serdar Berdimuhamedow and Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov pose for a photo prior the first summit between the leaders of the EU and the five countries of Central Asia in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, on Friday, April 4, 2025. (Uzbekistan’s Presidential Press Office via AP)
In this photo released by Uzbekistan’s Presidential Press Office, Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, right, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, pose for a photo prior the first summit between the leaders of the EU and the five countries of Central Asia in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, on Friday, April 4, 2025. (Uzbekistan’s Presidential Press Office via AP)
In this photo released by Uzbekistan’s Presidential Press Office, European Council President Antonio Costa, left, and Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, pose for a photo prior the first summit between the leaders of the EU and the five countries of Central Asia in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, on Friday, April 4, 2025. (Uzbekistan’s Presidential Press Office via AP)
In this photo released by Uzbekistan’s Presidential Press Office, Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, center, European Council President Antonio Costa, left, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, right, pose for a photo prior the first summit between the leaders of the EU and the five countries of Central Asia in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, Thursday, April 3, 2025. (Uzbekistan’s Presidential Press Office via AP)
In this photo released by Uzbekistan’s Presidential Press Office, Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, center, European Council President Antonio Costa, left, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, right, pose for a photo prior the first summit between the leaders of the EU and the five countries of Central Asia in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, Thursday, April 3, 2025. (Uzbekistan’s Presidential Press Office via AP)
This photo released by Uzbekistan’s Presidential Press Office, offers a view of the first summit between the leaders of the EU and the five countries of Central Asia in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, on Friday, April 4, 2025. (Uzbekistan’s Presidential Press Office via AP)
This photo released by Uzbekistan’s Presidential Press Office, offers a view of the first summit between the leaders of the EU and the five countries of Central Asia in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, on Friday, April 4, 2025. (Uzbekistan’s Presidential Press Office via AP)
In this photo released by Uzbekistan’s Presidential Press Office, from left: Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, European Council President Antonio Costa, Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Turkmenistan President Serdar Berdimuhamedow and Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov pose for a photo prior the first summit between the leaders of the EU and the five countries of Central Asia in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, on Friday, April 4, 2025. (Uzbekistan’s Presidential Press Office via AP)
In this photo released by Uzbekistan’s Presidential Press Office, from left: Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, European Council President Antonio Costa, Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Turkmenistan President Serdar Berdimuhamedow and Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov pose for a photo prior the first summit between the leaders of the EU and the five countries of Central Asia in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, on Friday, April 4, 2025. (Uzbekistan’s Presidential Press Office via AP)
In this photo released by Uzbekistan’s Presidential Press Office, Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, right, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen talk to each other prior to the first summit between the leaders of the EU and the five countries of Central Asia in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, Thursday, April 3, 2025. (Uzbekistan’s Presidential Press Office via AP)
In this photo released by Uzbekistan’s Presidential Press Office, Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, right, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen talk to each other prior to the first summit between the leaders of the EU and the five countries of Central Asia in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, Thursday, April 3, 2025. (Uzbekistan’s Presidential Press Office via AP)
In this photo released by Uzbekistan’s Presidential Press Office, Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, center, European Council President Antonio Costa, left, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, right, pose for a photo prior the first summit between the leaders of the EU and the five countries of Central Asia in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, Thursday, April 3, 2025. (Uzbekistan’s Presidential Press Office via AP)
In this photo released by Uzbekistan’s Presidential Press Office, Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, center, European Council President Antonio Costa, left, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, right, pose for a photo prior the first summit between the leaders of the EU and the five countries of Central Asia in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, Thursday, April 3, 2025. (Uzbekistan’s Presidential Press Office via AP)
In this photo released by Uzbekistan’s Presidential Press Office, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, arrives to attend the first summit between the leaders of the EU and the five countries of Central Asia in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, on Friday, April 4, 2025. (Uzbekistan’s Presidential Press Office via AP)
In this photo released by Uzbekistan’s Presidential Press Office, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, arrives to attend the first summit between the leaders of the EU and the five countries of Central Asia in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, on Friday, April 4, 2025. (Uzbekistan’s Presidential Press Office via AP)
In this photo released by Uzbekistan’s Presidential Press Office, from left: Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, European Council President Antonio Costa, Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Turkmenistan President Serdar Berdimuhamedow and Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov pose for a photo prior the first summit between the leaders of the EU and the five countries of Central Asia in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, on Friday, April 4, 2025. (Uzbekistan’s Presidential Press Office via AP)
In this photo released by Uzbekistan’s Presidential Press Office, from left: Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, European Council President Antonio Costa, Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Turkmenistan President Serdar Berdimuhamedow and Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov pose for a photo prior the first summit between the leaders of the EU and the five countries of Central Asia in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, on Friday, April 4, 2025. (Uzbekistan’s Presidential Press Office via AP)
In this photo released by Uzbekistan’s Presidential Press Office, Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, right, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, pose for a photo prior the first summit between the leaders of the EU and the five countries of Central Asia in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, on Friday, April 4, 2025. (Uzbekistan’s Presidential Press Office via AP)
In this photo released by Uzbekistan’s Presidential Press Office, Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, right, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, pose for a photo prior the first summit between the leaders of the EU and the five countries of Central Asia in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, on Friday, April 4, 2025. (Uzbekistan’s Presidential Press Office via AP)
In this photo released by Uzbekistan’s Presidential Press Office, European Council President Antonio Costa, left, and Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, pose for a photo prior the first summit between the leaders of the EU and the five countries of Central Asia in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, on Friday, April 4, 2025. (Uzbekistan’s Presidential Press Office via AP)
In this photo released by Uzbekistan’s Presidential Press Office, European Council President Antonio Costa, left, and Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, pose for a photo prior the first summit between the leaders of the EU and the five countries of Central Asia in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, on Friday, April 4, 2025. (Uzbekistan’s Presidential Press Office via AP)
The leaders of the European Union and five Central Asian countries held their first summit on Friday and declared a new strategic partnership to boost trade and other ties.
The summit in Samarkand, Uzbekistan is attended by European Council President António Costa, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and the leaders of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
Costa declared that “the European Union is eager to build a mutually beneficial partnership with Central Asia, one that goes beyond expectations.”
Von der Leyen said that the summit is set to “deepen trade ties and expand cooperation in transport, critical raw materials, digital connectivity, water and energy.” She announced a 12 billion-euro ($13.2 billion) Gateway Investment Package to increase cooperation in transport, critical raw materials, clean energy and digital connectivity.
Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev said hat during the past seven years trade between Central Asian and EU countries has increased to 54 billion euros ($60 billion), adding that the summit “should become the starting point of a new stage in the development of multi-faceted relations.”