On April 3-4, delegations from the European Union and the five Central Asian nations will convene in Samarkand for the first-ever Central Asia-European Union Summit. This landmark gathering takes place amid a complex new phase in international relations, characterized by growing unpredictability, erosion of international norms, economic weaponization, and intensifying climate challenges.
What makes this summit particularly significant is the participation of the EU’s new top leadership, including European Council President António Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Their presence underscores that this is not just another diplomatic forum but a strategic opportunity to deepen cooperation between two regions that currently share an unprecedented convergence of interests, challenges, and aspirations.
Central Asia — strategically located at the crossroads of Europe and Asia — has traditionally been a region where the EU plays a secondary role, often overshadowed by larger regional powers and constrained by limited resources. However, as a benign actor, the EU possesses comparative advantages that position it to play a transformative role, particularly in fostering connectivity in the fields of digital infrastructure, transportation, and green energy. These areas align not only with the EU’s strategic priorities but also with a broader vision for a resilient, sovereign, and prosperous Central Asia.
The Caspian Green Energy Corridor
Since early 2022, the EU has intensified its efforts to diversify energy sources and secure critical raw materials. Central Asia — with its vast potential in solar, wind, hydropower, and green hydrogen — has emerged as a key partner. The proposed Caspian Green Energy Corridor — initially planned between Georgia and the EU — now opens opportunities for Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Azerbaijan to supply renewable electricity to Europe via two under-construction transmission lines across the Caspian and Black Seas.
The region holds enormous untapped renewable energy potential. Estimates suggest that small-scale hydropower capacity could range from 275 MW to 30,000 MW, solar PV capacity from 195,000 MW to 3,760,000 MW, wind capacity from 1,500 MW to 354,000 MW, geothermal capacity from 2 MW to 54,000 MW, and bioenergy capacity from 200 MW to 800 MW.
Concrete steps have been taken to harness this potential. Uzbekistan, for instance, plans to add 20 GW of renewable capacity by 2030, bringing the total to 27 GW. In 2024 alone, it signed agreements to develop 18 GW in solar and wind energy. Kazakhstan’s ambitions are more modest, aiming to add 5 GW to its current 2.9 GW capacity by 2030 — although growing domestic demand could absorb much of this capacity.
Despite these efforts, the region continues to face persistent barriers, including technical limitations, regulatory uncertainty, and the need for substantial investment. This is where the EU can serve as a catalytic partner. Through the European Fund for Sustainable Development Plus (EFSD+), the EU can mobilize investments using the Global Gateway framework. By combining guarantees, grants, technical assistance, and other financing tools, the EU can help the region advance toward climate neutrality and sustainable development while fulfilling its global commitments under the 2030 Agenda, the Sustainable Development Goals, and the Paris Agreement.
Digital Connectivity
In a rapidly digitizing global economy, digital infrastructure is no longer a luxury — it is the backbone of competitiveness, innovation, and national sovereignty. When the EU launched its Digital Connectivity initiative at the Global Gateway Forum in Samarkand in November 2022, it pledged over 40 million euro to support Central Asian countries in bridging their digital divides and integrating them into selected EU digital programs. However, nearly four years later, the initiative remains high on ambition but low on implementation — lacking concrete action plans, coordination mechanisms, and supplementary financing from Europe.
Still, the potential remains immense. By supporting the expansion of “hard” digital infrastructure — like end-to-end satellite networks — and enhancing “soft” systems through technical assistance (including regulatory alignment, legal capacity-building, and financial support for public, private, or public-private partnerships), the EU can help Central Asian countries assert their digital sovereignty on their terms.
According to World Bank research, a mere 1 percent increase in internet users can result in a 4.3 percent increase in exports. In this sense, the initiative would not only offer viable solutions for extending access to remote and underserved areas — bridging digital divides both nationally and regionally — but also transform key sectors, including agriculture, education, healthcare, industry, and finance. Crucially, this would also enhance the region’s attractiveness for private sector investment, providing a foundation for sustainable and inclusive growth.
Transportation Connectivity
Central Asia’s geographical position has long made it a natural bridge between East and West. Despite this potential, the region still grapples with persistent bottlenecks to trade flows — including inefficient border procedures, fragmented customs systems, and outdated paper-based logistics. These challenges continue to undermine its competitiveness, particularly when compared to alternative trade routes, such as the Trans-Siberian Railway and maritime corridors through the Indian Ocean.
However, momentum is shifting. At the Global Gateway Investors Forum in Brussels in January 2024, European and international financial institutions pledged over 10 billion euro (approximately $10.8 billion) toward upgrading infrastructure along the Middle Corridor. This aims to reduce transport time between Europe and Central Asia to 15 days or less, an ambitious yet attainable objective that reflects growing international confidence in the corridor’s potential.
Yet, transforming Central Asia from a transit zone into a dynamic trade hub requires more than roads and railways. The region needs smart infrastructure, and this is where the EU can offer decisive added value. Providing technical assistance in adopting digital trade solutions such as e-CMR and e-TIR would significantly streamline cross-border operations, reduce delays, and minimize transaction costs. These systems enable real-time cargo tracking, digitize paperwork, and curb opportunities for rent-seeking and corruption.
Studies show that implementing e-CMR can cut document processing costs by up to 55 percent and handling times by up to 75 percent. Likewise, e-TIR can reduce transport durations by up to 80 percent. Beyond improving efficiency, these innovations align with the EU’s climate objectives, which include lowering carbon emissions and reducing paper usage in line with the Green Deal and Global Gateway strategies.
Beyond technical support, the EU’s most enduring contribution could be in promoting rules-based, interoperable systems. By embedding international standards and best practices, the EU can help Central Asia overcome its fragmented trade architecture and move toward deeper regional integration anchored in transparency, efficiency, and accountability.
The Samarkand Summit marks a watershed moment in EU-Central Asia relations. At a time when the international order is undergoing a fundamental realignment, the EU has the opportunity to transition from a peripheral partner to a core architect of connectivity in the region.
By investing in green energy, digital infrastructure, and smart transportation systems, the EU can help unlock Central Asia’s vast potential—advancing mutual strategic interests while promoting shared values of sustainability, sovereignty, and regional cooperation.
The path forward is clear. What remains is the political will — and sustained commitment- to walk it together.