New EU strategy for CA reflects new technologies and digital transformation

BRUSSELS. KAZINFORM - Special EU Representative for Central Asia Peter Burian told about the joint work on the new EU strategy for Central Asia when speaking at the Forum in Brussels titled "Outlooks for Development of Relations between Kazakhstan and the EU", Kazinform reports.

"We are now trying to define new realities, new needs of our partners in the region which will shape our new strategy. That is why we are engaged in very large consultative process with our partners," Peter Burian said.

According to Peter Burian, the new strategy which will be approved in 2019 is based on 'new events and realia in the region'.

"We already have updated our strategy in 2015. It has underlined the need to reflect specifics and ambitions of our partners in terms of relationship with the EU. We will continue in that direction, while not actually leaving the concept of supporting the regional cooperation in addressing issues like climate change and also developing connectivity, but also in private sector development," Peter Burian emphasized.  

"Combination of specifics and regional approaches probably will be the only answer how to make the strategy more efficient and more applicable," he noted.

Speaking about the new directions of the future document, Peter Burian told: "We heard very clearly the suggestion to include new technologies, digital transformation and energy efficiency from the Kazakh side. These are things which we need to reflect in the document and find ways to adjust our mechanisms, including financial instruments, for supporting more economic cooperation and more investments in the region."

The process of development of the new strategy of the European Union for Central Asia started in September 2017. The previous strategy was adopted in 2007 at the initiative of Germany. During 10 years it has proved as an effective tool implementing the EU interests in the region.