Ambassador of Kazakhstan meets with the new EU Special Representative for Central Asia

Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Brussels Margulan Baimukhan held the first official meeting with the appointed EU Special Representative for Central Asia, Finnish diplomat Terhi Hakala.

During the meeting, the Kazakh diplomat spoke about Kazakhstan’s priorities in relations with the European Union, spoke about the implementation of the Agreement on Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation between Kazakhstan and the European Union, as well as the EU Strategy in Central Asia, including interaction in the field of trade, transport, environment, and civil society development. The parties noted the need for active cooperation within the European Connectivity Strategy, joint organization of the Central Asia-EU Civil Forum in Kazakhstan in 2021, assistance to peaceful settlement in Afghanistan, upcoming high-level meetings in the CA-EU format, etc.

The Ambassador of Kazakhstan called on European institutions to actively participate in the rehabilitation of the Aral Sea, and the territory of the former Semipalatinsk nuclear test site.

A constructive exchange of views took place on the political and economic reforms being carried out in the Republic of Kazakhstan, the ongoing vaccination in Kazakhstan, as well as the use of Kazakhstan’s “QazVac”.

According to the European diplomat, she plans to visit the countries of Central Asia to get acquainted with the implementation of the EU Strategy on the ground and aims to actively support the dialogue between the EU and CA institutions, with a major focus on the implementation of mutually beneficial projects.

The parties noted the effectiveness of ongoing projects such as BOMCA (Border Management Program in Central Asia and Afghanistan) and CADAP (Central Asia Drug Action Program) that aim at promoting border management and drug prevention in the region.

The EU Special Representative for Central Asia in her activities promotes the comprehensive cooperation between CA and the EU. The cooperation covers a wide range of issues in such sectors as security, rule of law, environment, water resources, climate change, education, and human rights, and the role of women, etc. Terhi Hakala is a Finnish career diplomat with extensive experience in the EU Eastern Partnership states and Central Asia, including in the OSCE institutions. She held high diplomatic posts abroad, including in Russia, India, and other countries of South and Southeast Asia and Geneva. Prior to her appointment, she worked as an ambassador at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland.