On 27 March, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice-President of the European Commission, Kaja Kallas, will chair the 20th EU-Central Asia Ministerial meeting hosted this year by Turkmenistan in Ashgabat, with Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan.

In addition to preparing the first ever EU-Central Asia Summit taking place in Samarkand, Uzbekistan (3-4 April 2025) discussions will focus on a wide range of issues, including the regional impact of Russia’s war on Ukraine, 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.

The Ministerial meeting will be followed by a press conference with HR/VP Kallas, at around 14:45 (10:45 CET) on 27 March.

A joint communiqué will be published here.

The HR/VP will then 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.

Audiovisual material of the visit will be available on EbS. 

More information about the EU’s relations with Central Asia is available here.

Follow the High Representative and the European External Action Service on social media for live updates.