Central Asia Is Quietly Drifting Away From Russia. The EU Should Pay Attention.
Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan are diversifying partnerships. Europe is barely in the conversation.
Where is Europe?
The EU's engagement with Central Asia remains remarkably thin. Total EU investment in the region is less than β¬5 billion, a fraction of what China spends in a single year. The EU's 2019 Central Asia Strategy promised enhanced connectivity and rule-of-law support, but implementation has been slow and underfunded.
This is a missed opportunity. Central Asia is rich in critical minerals β rare earths, lithium, uranium β that Europe desperately needs for its green transition. The region's location makes it a natural corridor between European and Asian markets. And its governments, wary of Chinese debt-trap dynamics, are genuinely open to European partnerships.
- Central Asian trade with China ($89B) now exceeds trade with Russia ($42B)
- The Middle Corridor through the Caspian is growing 67% year-on-year as an alternative to Russian routes
- EU investment in Central Asia is under β¬5B β a fraction of Chinese engagement
- The region's critical minerals and strategic location make it a natural European partner