As one of the most important actors on the world stage, the European Union (EU) has many topics of interest on its agenda. In economic terms, according to Eurostat, the EU has the second-highest share of trade in the world (13.7%), after China (18.2%, excluding Hong Kong). Many issues at the EU level are, thus, considered important for the future of the Union. The challenges and transformations we have witnessed in Europe, especially in the last five years, have had a powerful impact on the EU’s relation with Central Asia. These contacts are being revised and reshaped to reflect new realities and economic contexts – for example, the pandemic has increased the region’s visibility especially from a commercial perspective. Policies are becoming increasingly visible. But not only the economic domain has had a relevant impact – meaning that it led to policy changes, but also the Russian Federation war of aggression against Ukraine has been a significant factor influencing the management of external relations with other geographical regions.
Author: Oana-Mihaela Mocanu, PhD Director General, European Institute of Romania
This article is available on the European Institute of Romania.
