This EUCAM newsletter looks into prospects for the development of Central Asia as a region and expectations regarding the development of Central Asian societies. Last year, the Central Asian republics celebrated 20 years of independence. What will their region and their countries look like in 2030? We invited four top Central Asia watchers to look in their crystal balls and tell us what they see in 2030. Taken together, these essays offer a comprehensive picture of current developments and future prospects.

FRIDE’s EUCAM programme invites students, young researchers, and scholars from Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan to write an essay on Europe in Central Asia.

Within this broad topic we invite you to submit an essay looking into the role that Europe has played or could play in one of the following areas:

·         Democracy and good governance

·         Civil society activity and development

·         Education and people-to-people contacts

·         Trade and investment

Essays will be assessed by a EUCAM selection commission. The two or three best essays will be published on the EUCAM website.

 The EU has signalled education as a priority for its support to Central Asia. Specific activities include attempts to establish regular regional and bilateral dialogues; assistance in reforming higher and vocational education; programmes to facilitate academic exchanges; and e-networking. This policy brief offers a critical assessment of the EU’s engagement and the lessons learnt from the European Education Initiative for Central Asia.

As the 2014 NATO drawdown from Afghanistan approaches, the EU increasingly focuses on preventing potential spillover effects on Central Asia. The Union wishes to further its cooperation with the wider region. But to succeed, it will have to develop a clearer strategy to avoid condoning the repressive policies and opaque interests of the Central Asian governments. The EU should focus on a few well-chosen areas and prioritise the involvement of local actors, in particular civilian stakeholders, who are the only vectors of long-term sustainable solutions. This paper addresses the Central Asia-Afghanistan relationship, analyses the impact of post-2014 changes to the security context and looks at the EU’s opportunities to foster regional dynamics.

Tajikistan is a poor and underdeveloped country that is partly dependent on external donor support. The country faces a series of threats to its stability. How do European donors approach Tajikistan and can this approach be seen as part of a security-development nexus?

EU humanitarian assistance to Central Asia is often overlooked as an essential ingredient of EU policy towards Central Asia. Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan have benefited substantially from EU humanitarian assistance, but capacity building to meet challenges remains weak. Kazakhstan has found a niche as a coordination hub, and also itself offers assistance. How have EU activities developed, what are EU objectives in Central Asia and how might Europe’s approach evolve?

This EUCAM Watch presents an overview of donor activities and assessment of rule of law problems in Central Asia through three interviews with experts and an article on rule of law in Central Asia.