EUSR`s Statement at the 8th EU – Central Asia Special Envoys for Afghanistan Meeting

It is a great pleasure to be here in Kazakhstan today, and we are sincerely grateful for your warm hospitality and for hosting this important meeting. I am truly delighted to see such a distinguished group gathered here.

For the European Union, it remains essential to maintain regular exchanges on Afghanistan. We are also very grateful for your openness and continued willingness, colleagues, to engage with us in this dialogue.

I am also very pleased to see our colleagues from the United Nations here, who will share their expertise and insights on the situation in the region and on their activities in the country.

The situation in Afghanistan remains dynamic and complex, marked by ongoing political, security, humanitarian, and socio-economic challenges. 

These are further exacerbated by the escalation of the Afghanistan–Pakistan conflict earlier this year, as well as by wider regional tensions stemming from developments in Iran and its confrontation with Israel and the United States.

These developments do not exist in isolation, but have far-reaching implications for the broader region, affecting stability, connectivity, and cooperation across multiple dimensions. 

In this context, sustained engagement and open dialogue among partners are essential to ensure a more comprehensive understanding of evolving realities and to support well-informed and coordinated approaches.

Thanks to the kind invitation of the Uzbek side, for which I am very grateful, I was in Tashkent two weeks ago, where I had the opportunity to speak at the opening of the Second Termez Dialogue on Connectivity between South and Central Asia. 

I was very pleased to see the strong interest of many countries from Central Asia and South Asia in a sincere and open dialogue on strengthening connectivity between our two regions. This engagement is particularly encouraging, as it shows that, despite the many challenges that remain, there is a clear willingness to move forward together.

It is a positive signal that countries are looking beyond existing obstacles and focusing on building a shared future, including through the development of new links and partnerships. Above all, this reflects a common understanding that greater connectivity should serve the people and societies and contribute to improving stability, prosperity, and cooperation across the broader region.

As I mentioned in my opening remarks in Tashkent, I would like to reiterate that the European Union is strongly committed to continuously improving connectivity between Europe and Central Asia through the Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor. This corridor not only directly benefits the landlocked countries of Central Asia, but also provides South Asian countries with alternative access to European markets.

When discussing Afghanistan, one of the main topics that repeatedly arises is security. The European Union attaches the utmost importance to this issue and is continuously working with its Central Asian partners to strengthen security, particularly along the borders.

Few weeks ago, there was an Opening Conference of the 11th phase of the Border Management Programme in Central Asia – BOMCA.

I regret that I couldn’t attend the ceremony in Bishkek in person, but I was grateful for the opportunity to contribute through the video message.

For more than two decades, BOMCA programme has supported integrated border management, facilitated trade and mobility, enhanced border security, and fostered cooperation among border communities. Equally importantly, BOMCA helps build trust and practical cooperation among neighbouring countries, which is essential for long-term regional stability and stronger economic connectivity.

I am very pleased to see that the programme is continuing, and I am confident that the 11th phase will deliver tangible benefits for the people of Central Asia and further deepen the partnership between the European Union and the region.

During my last visit in Tajikistan, I had a chance to visit Nizhny Panj Border Point and Panj Crossing Border Point, where the European Union, together with the OSCE is implementing the Phase 3 of the programme Stabilisation of Tajikistan’s southern border region with Afghanistan. 

I was very pleased to note the contribution of European Union support to strengthening the protection of Tajikistan’s southern border, as well as the professional use of modern equipment by the Tajik border troops, which supports the continued enhancement of their operational efficiency and effectiveness.

I am convinced that our cooperation in protecting the southern borders will not end with this programme, and that we will be able to continue our support in other areas, including improving satellite and digital connectivity.

To conclude, I am very much looking forward to our exchange over the next few hours. 

I wish everyone a fruitful discussion, and once again I would like to thank our Kazakh colleagues for their hospitality.