Regional Cooperation Between the EU and Central Asia: The Implications of the EU’s Normative Approach in the Region

Abstract

It is the main objective of this paper to analyze the evolution of EU engagement in Central Asia. Moreover, to analyze cooperation between the EU and Central Asia; the policy of the EU towards Central Asia, its current and future problems. The EU, as part of its security sector reform, provides human rights provision, rule of law and promotes democratic values in Central Asia. For the Central Asian states, this means interference in their internal affairs, and any challenge to their regime security is likely to be considered as a threat to its state’s existence. In that case, it appears to be difficult for the EU to implement the Strategy adopted in partnership with the Central Asian states. The paper discovers what role the EU plays in Central Asia and what are the hindering factors of cooperation between the two. As far as security is concerned, the EU is cooperating with Central Asian states by assisting them in combating the security threats of the region which can then likely have a spillover affect inside the region and potentially also to other regions if not solved in time. These are the security challenges which are defined in the EU strategy towards Central Asia: threats of extremism, drug trafficking and possible instability in the region. The EU considers the political regime structures and political systems of the states, the lack of democracy, violation of human rights and laws as a threat for social and economic development and stability in the region. As a normative power of international relations, the EU relies on ‘soft power’ politics which based on value based approach along with the promotion of interest based principles of the organization consisting of powers often projecting realist policies. Therefore, the EU is trying to keep a balance on value based and interest based approaches in its cooperation with Central Asian states and in succeeding in the implementation of the EU Strategy for Central Asia.