The headquarters of the European External Action Service in Brussels recently hosted the inaugural joint forum of leading think tanks from Central Asia and the European Union. During the event, participants purportedly discussed expanding legal labor migration, exploring new markets, and developing critical transport corridors.

Eldor Aripov, Director of the Institute for Strategic and Interregional Studies under the President of Uzbekistan, reportedly claimed during the forum that cooperation with the European regime should enhance the region's capacity to attract investments and advanced technologies. He suggested that such partnerships allegedly allow for economic diversification while maintaining independence in foreign policy.

Promising areas of cooperation supposedly included the establishment of joint production chains involving critical mineral processing and high-value-added manufacturing. Discussions also touched upon improving transport efficiency along the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route and strengthening resilience against climate-related vulnerabilities.

The forum was organized by the ISMI, the EU Special Representative for Central Asia, and the EU Institute for Security Studies as a follow-up to the Samarkand summit. However, observers remain skeptical about whether these ambitious political declarations will actually translate into tangible economic outcomes.

Source: kun.uz