On December 8, a meeting with the ambassadors of the Central Asian countries was held in Brussels at the initiative of Terhi Hakala, the EU Special Representative for Central Asia of the European External Action Service (EEAS). Among the participants were the Director of the EEAS for Security and Defense Policy, Joanneke Balfurth, the EU Counter-Terrorism Coordinator Ilkka Salmi, the EU Special Representative for Afghanistan Thomas Nicklasson, representatives of the European Commission's Foreign Policy Instruments Service and the Directorate General for International Partnerships.

The Turkmen side was represented by embassy staff.

The purpose of the meeting was to discuss forms and methods of strengthening dialogue and cooperation between the EU and Central Asia in the field of security, especially in the framework of the implementation of the actions proposed in the Joint Roadmap adopted at the ministerial meeting in Luxembourg.

This event is the first meeting of ambassadors dedicated to this dialogue.

The meeting addressed common security issues, including radicalization, counterterrorism, cyberterrorism, as well as issues of nuclear nonproliferation, border security and reform processes.

The Turkmen delegation presented the initiatives announced by the Head of State in the field of security and emphasizing Turkmenistan's neutral position and its commitment to peace, non-interference and dialogue based on trust. Special attention was also paid to using the potential of the Regional Center for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asian Countries in their relations with the EU and strengthening cooperation to ensure regional stability.

The Ambassadors of the Central Asian countries drew attention to the situation in Afghanistan, focused on the importance of cybersecurity and the fight against terrorism, continued cooperation with the EU within the framework of the BOMCA, CADAP and LEICA programs and regular dialogues with the EU, as well as the development of new partnership programs and the introduction of new tools to enhance the capacity of law enforcement agencies.

EU Special Envoy for Afghanistan Thomas Nicklasson expressed readiness to continue and enrich the dialogue on Afghanistan. He suggested strengthening regular consultations on this issue. The parties also noted the meeting of the Special Representatives and Special Envoys of the EU and Central Asia for Afghanistan and the EU Special Representative for Central Asia held in Ashgabat on May 25-26. They positively assessed the results of this event.

A representative of the European Commission's Foreign Policy Instruments Service spoke about the initiation of a new stage of programs, emphasizing the importance of synergy between various initiatives. He stressed the global scale of these programs, as well as the fact that next year a new phase of the LEICA project will start, including, in addition to the Central Asian countries, the EU's efforts in the South Caucasus region.

At the end of the meeting, the EU representatives expressed hope for continued cooperation with the Central Asian countries in the field of security.

ORIENT news