Present and potential factors destabilizing Central Asia as a challenge to the European Union
Present and potential factors destabilizing Central Asia as a challenge to the European Union

Summary/Abstract: Central Asia is struggling with various challenges ranging from con icts over water to ethnic and religious con icts. Another factor destabilizing the situation is the mounting regional competition between Russia, China and the USA. While Russia is trying to maintain its zone of in uence, China wants to build its own zone. US activities are mainly related to stabilization in Afghanistan. Given this background and the different problems and challenges, the EU’s activities in this region are negligible. Soft instruments prevail, but EU activities are anything but coherent, as the EU lacks a broad, long-term strategy of relations with Central Asia that could rede ne EU involvement in the region.

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