High level Dialogue EU-Central Asia and Afghanistan was held in Ashgabat

On July 9, 2018 High-level Dialogue of the European Union-Central Asia and Afghanistan on issues of politics and security has been held in Ashgabat.

The meeting was held at the level of deputy foreign ministers. The delegation of the European Union at the meeting was headed by Jean Christophe Belliard, Deputy Secretary-General for Political Affairs of the European External Relations Service.
The agenda of the meeting included issues of countering international and regional threats to security, such as terrorism, radicalism, extremism. In this context, the joint actions of the Central Asian and European Union countries on border management and the fight against drugs within the framework of the European Union programs " BOMCA, CADAP, EU-ACT, as well as the current security situation in Afghanistan and priority areas for EU-Central Asia-Afghanistan cooperation had been discussed.

During the meeting, the parties also made proposals on enhancing the effectiveness of cooperation in the trade and economic sphere, transport, environment, water resources and elimination of the consequences of nuclear weapons.

In addition, the meeting discussed the preparation of the EU Strategy for Central Asia and on cooperation, as well as regional aspects of cooperation. Participants exchanged views on the upcoming meeting of EU-Central Asia ministers, which will be held in late 2018 in Brussels.

Heads of delegations of the EU and Central Asian countries expressed support for a peaceful settlement of the situation in Afghanistan, noted the importance of further cooperation in the format of the EU-Central Asia Security Dialogue with the participation of Afghanistan.