First Central Asia–EU think tank forum takes place in Brussels

The forum, titled "Central Asia – EU: Transformation of Cooperation in a Changing World," was organized by three entities: the Uzbek ISRS under the President, the Office of the European Union Special Representative for Central Asia, and the European Union Institute for Security Studies (EUISS). According to UzA, the meeting was a follow-up to the Central Asia–European Union summit in Samarkand in April 2025, after which relations between the regions were upgraded to the status of a strategic partnership. Expanding engagement among think tanks was proposed at the summit by Shavkat Mirziyoyev.

Aripov cited estimates showing that Central Asia's economy is growing by more than 6% annually, while its population could exceed 100 million people by 2050. "For us, partnership with the European Union is an opportunity to expand economic ties, diversify markets, and attract new technologies, while maintaining the freedom to cooperate with other partners," he said.

Among promising areas, the ISRS director named joint supply chains for critical raw materials, including their processing and the manufacturing of high-value-added products, water and climate resilience, as well as transport links, including the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route. He also spoke about vocational education, digital skills, legal labor mobility, and contributing to stability in Afghanistan.

Aripov considers translating political agreements into concrete projects to be the main task. The forum participants stated they are interested in making this platform regular.