The EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice-President of the European Commission, Kaja Kallas will start the regional tour of Central Asia on 27 March 2025.
The first stop is Turkmenistan where she will chair the 20th EU-Central Asia Ministerial meeting in Ashgabat. High level delegations from Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan will attend the event.
The ministerial will discuss a wide-ranging agenda including the preparations for the first EU-Central Asia Summit to be held early next month in Samarkand, and the issues related to the security, transport and digital connectivity, critical raw materials, energy and water, trade, people-to-people contacts, education and research.
Ahead of the meeting, the HR/VP will meet bilaterally with the Foreign Ministers of Turkmenistan – Raşit Meredow -and Tajikistan – Sirojiddin Muhriddin – , as well as with the President of Turkmenistan, Serdar Berdimuhamedov.
After the ministerial meeting, Kaja Kallas will travel to Tashkent in Uzbekistan where she will meet with Foreign Minister Bakhtiyor Saidov and President Shavkat Mirziyoyev. She will then travel onwards to Almaty, Kazakhstan where she will meet, on Friday 28 March, the Foreign Minister of Kazakhstan, Murat Nurtleu. She will also meet bilaterally with the President of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.