Translated with AI
The European Union is not attempting to expand into Central Asia and is aware of Russia and China's presence in the region. This was stated by Eduards Stiprais, the EU Special Representative for Central Asia, according to TASS.
"We are not immediate neighbors, and it's very difficult to accuse us of any attempts at expansion at the expense of Central Asian countries, whether political or economic expansion in the region. I believe our relations are based solely on mutual benefit," the diplomat noted in an interview with the Kaztag news agency.
"At the same time, of course, we understand that there are other partners here, players, as one might sometimes put it. Of course, this includes China and the Russian Federation," Stiprais said.
According to him, the European Union's interest in Central Asia is "to ensure the region develops sustainably and that peace and prosperity reign here." "Because this directly affects our security issues," the EU representative added.
In April, the first-ever Central Asia-European Union summit took place in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, where five heads of state from the region met with EU leadership.
