№139. Security Challenges in Central Asia. Implications for the EU’s Engagement Strategy
№139. Security Challenges in Central Asia. Implications for the EU’s Engagement Strategy

Author(s): Daniel Kimmage
Subject(s): Politics, Geography, Regional studies, International relations/trade, Security and defense
Published by: CEPS Centre for European Policy Studies
Keywords: Central Asia; Security Challenges; extremism; smuggling; EU engagement;
Summary/Abstract: Central Asia presents the European Union with a uniquely problematic set of security challenges. Enumerated in their most basic form, without reference to context, the challenges are formidable enough: the threat of violent extremism, a well established conduit for smuggling illegal narcotics and potential instability rife with the possibility of conflict and humanitarian catastrophe. But these challenges are not stand-alone issues that can be treated individually; they are embedded in a regional context that creates additional difficulties for engagement. Namely, while Central Asian states may share a common understanding of ‘security challenges’, that understanding differs considerably from accepted definitions within the EU. More importantly, the Central Asian states themselves have evolved in various directions since gaining independence in 1991, and it is by no means clear that a ‘regional policy’ is the most effective means by which to engage them.

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