International Journal Of History And Political Sciences
37
https://theusajournals.com/index.php/ijhps
VOLUME
Vol.05 Issue06 2025
PAGE NO.
37-40
10.37547/ijhps/Volume05Issue06-08
Regional Imperatives Of The Multilateral Diplomacy Of
Uzbekistan With The European Union
Sherzod E. Ziyoyev
Research Fellow, Tashkent State University Of Oriental Studies, Uzbekistan
Received:
27 April 2025;
Accepted:
14 May 2025;
Published:
29 June 2025
Abstract:
In this article, the author focuses on the priority aspects of cooperation with the European Union in the
current geopolitical and geoeconomic processes in Central Asia. The author of the article focuses on a separate
assessment of Uzbekistan's position in such issues as regional integration, political cooperation, and green
technologies. The author also emphasizes the role of the new Uzbekistan's cooperation relations with the
European Union in solving the problems of the region, and puts forward a number of theoretical considerations
and practical proposals.
Keywords:
Central Asia, multilateral diplomacy, the European Union, Uzbekistan’s perspectives, constructivism,
regional factor, transport-logistics hub, inter-regional dialogue.
Introduction:
First of all, the contemporary Central
Osiyodagi held many complex events, attracting local
and international participants. These relations are
shaped by the geographical importance, resource
security and historical circumstances of the area. The
post-state republics of the United States have been
able to establish and maintain their own objective and
subjective relations with the European Union. In the
period after the Soviet Union, new states appeared and
the development of local dynamics was strengthened
by the constant efforts to liberalize the self-
government and to improve the general conditions.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the
countries of Central Asia found themselves in a
particularly difficult situation. Within the USSR, the
union republics had a high level of economic
interdependence. The disintegration of these economic
ties created serious problems. However, the level of
development of the newly independent states in
Central Asia was much lower than that of the republics
in the European part of the post-Soviet space.
Therefore, it was more difficult for them to overcome
the consequences of the collapse of the centralized
system. In addition, the countries of Central Asia were
isolated from world markets due to their remoteness
from the world ocean. Therefore, they had to work
together to overcome the crisis in all respects. Many
open problems that needed to be resolved by finding a
common language were among the issues awaiting a
solution - primarily border problems, ecology (the Aral
Sea problem), economic and social problems, security,
water and energy, and other areas.
LITERATURE REVIEW
One of the latest studies on foreign policy and
diplomatic relations conducted in our country on this
issue, in the work of historian and political scientist
D.Sayfullayev, we find the following observations: “It is
known that in the world political and socio-economic
development of the early 1990s, there was a certain
general upsurge associated with the collapse of the
socialist camp. During this period, liberal ideology
remained an active and leading ideology in the system
of foreign policy doctrines for a certain period. It began
to be used as a common source of progressive ideas,
especially for developing countries. According to the
“sponsors” of these ideas, this ideology could answer
questions about what a new world order should be like,
which path to take, including what newly independent
states should do for the safe and economic
development
of
the
world.
However,
the
recommendations given turned out to be somewhat
more complicated than expected. Even a number of
International Journal Of History And Political Sciences
38
https://theusajournals.com/index.php/ijhps
International Journal Of History And Political Sciences (ISSN
–
2771-2222)
developed countries were faced with the challenge of
creating a new geopolitical and economic situation” .
The American expert and statesman H.Kissinger, who
analyzed these processes, expressed the following
thoughts: “... Not a single leading country that has
embarked on the creation of a new world order has the
slightest experience of existing within the framework of
the emerging multi-state system. Never before has a
new world order been created on the basis of such
diverse visions, on such a global scale. Never before has
there been an order that combines the symbols of a
universal democratic mindset, as well as rapidly
developing modern technologies, and historical
systems of balance”.
D.Sayfullayev noted that the foreign policy of the
Republic of Uzbekistan, its participation in the system
of international relations, and its practice in the fields
of national diplomacy, including cultural diplomacy,
have gone through two periods:
1) From 1991 to 2015;
2) From 2017 till nowadays.
METHODOLOGY
However, the approach to the study of the issue, based
on traditional paradigms, hinders the correct
understanding of the problem and finding a practical
solution. The theoretical and methodological basis for
the study of the foreign policy relations of the Central
Asian states is formed by history, political science,
scientific theories used in the study of modern
international relations - neorealism, neo-liberalism,
globalism,
regionalism,
multilateralism,
institutionalism,
constructivism
,
intergovernmentalism, etc. In the study of the political
relations of modern Central Asia with the European
Union, various methods are widely used - mainly
systematic analysis, historical-comparative analysis,
document analysis, quantitative and qualitative
analysis methods, content analysis, etc.
The political and diplomatic relations of the Central
Asian countries with the European Union are one of the
most pressing issues in the recent history of the region.
Approaching the issue more from the perspective of
political and diplomatic relations between the parties,
it is necessary to familiarize ourselves with the many
approaches and theories that have been and are being
expressed in this regard. In particular, in studying the
history of the region at the modern stage, various
theories are often used - neoliberalism, democratism ,
the theory of the “democratic world”, as well as
concepts such as “Ideal Politics”, “Real Politics”, “New
Great G
ame”, “New Silk Road projects”. In this regard,
in the process of conducting an interdisciplinary
analysis of these issues, we will try to use the concepts
of
“multilateralism”,
“interconnectedness”
,
“sustainable development”, “inclusive policy” (in the
sense of “policy that includes all aspects”). At the same
time, theoretical approaches such as globalization and
regionalization, inclusive development, are today
equally relevant not only to global historical events, but
also to political, socio-cultural processes taking place in
the region. For example, the above approaches and
theories help to understand the activities of external
forces in the region and the processes related to the
foreign policy of young independent republics .
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
A lot of scientific research has been conducted on the
topic of political relations between Central Asia and the
European Union over a period of more than 30 years.
Scientific works on this topic can be divided into
different groups based on their direction and content,
and even the region in which they were carried out.
First of all, it should be noted that the share of scientific
works carried out on this issue is more in Western
countries. Among them, the research of European
regionalists and historians is especially distinguished by
its scope. Also, a number of specialists in this field have
emerged in the post-Soviet countries, in particular, in
the Central Asian republics.
It is precisely the open official publications that are
more or less related to the topic of our research that
were initially popularized in the form of report
materials consisting of project results by international
organizations. A number of studies have been carried
out in Western academic circles on the issue of EU-
Central Asia relations. A number of Western experts
have emerged in this area. They study the region in
general terms and, approaching it from a geopolitical
perspective, clearly express the Western position on
this issue. Western Central Asian experts have analyzed
the
EU’s global policy and relations with Central Asia,
including P.Jonas, N.Melvin, M.Emerson, Y.Bonstra,
S.Peyrozy, M.Erika, B.Yarabik, D.Kimmeyj, M.Denison,
M.Hall, M.Fumagalli, O.Spaiser, and others, who have
expressed positive and negative opinions on the
current state of relations between the EU and the
countries of Central Asia .
Among these researchers, one of the experts who
conducted a detailed analysis of the implementation of
the European Union's strategy in Central Asia,
N.Melvin, in his monograph
“Into Central Asia. A New
Strategy for the European Union in the Heart of
Eurasia” writes that the Union should take a rational
approach in the region, taking into account the internal
characteristics of the countries, focus on socio-
economic development, reforms, and the primacy of
International Journal Of History And Political Sciences
39
https://theusajournals.com/index.php/ijhps
International Journal Of History And Political Sciences (ISSN
–
2771-2222)
the state in it. He also continues his thoughts, saying
that “Kazakhstan wants to participate in the European
Neighborhood Policy. In this, it will have a preferential
relationship with the EU. This situation is emphasized
by European Commissioner Benetta Ferrero-Volner,
who emphasizes the need to develop a unique and
differentiated approach to each of the Central Asian
countries, without isolating them.” Melvin also
mentions some negative aspects of the EU's policy in
the regi
on. He writes: “If Kazakhstan is a prominent
candidate for regional leadership and the most reliable
partner for the EU, it is because of Uzbekistan’s failure.
In fact, Uzbekistan has an even stronger potential for
regional leadership. For example, Uzbekistan has great
potential in terms of the diversity of its economic
infrastructure and human resources. Unfortunately,
Uzbekistan’s resistance to I. Karimov’s open reforms
has led to a systemic social crisis and even came under
sensational pressure in the An
dijan events of 2005 ”.
This situation has made Uzbekistan a long-term threat
to regional stability. In comparison, Kyrgyzstan and
Tajikistan, which have open political systems, have high
poverty rates, lack of governance capacity, and are
dependent on ext
ernal donor assistance”.
If we look at Uzbekistan’s recent past, the situation that
arose in Eurasia in the early 1990s also aroused interest
in Central Asia and hopes for mutual cooperation in
Europe. If earlier the removal of the “iron curtain” that
“blocked” this region from Europe marked a
fundamental change in the attitude of European
countries towards Central Asia, today, almost 30 years
later, the intensification of practical actions has
become the main topic of the agenda of negotiations
between the parties. The growing interest in this region
in Europe is reflected in various political and economic
aspects and processes. In particular, the strategic
attitude of the European Union towards Central Asia
can be studied as one of these processes. In turn, for
the Central Asian countries, after they gained their
state independence, establishing and developing
relations with Europe became a particularly important
factor. In this regard, the political, economic and
military potential of European countries, their
geographical location and role in international
transport and communication networks, and the
advanced technologies of science observed in them are
among the main factors attracting the attention of the
Central Asian countries. In particular, President I.A.
Karimov emphasized that the European direction of
Uzbekistan's foreign policy plays an important role and
is one of the most important factors in increasing the
pace and effectiveness of its transformation processes
in our country. .
Before delving into this issue in more detail, let us
briefly analyze the agreements adopted in the
framework of mutual relations and diplomatic relations
between Uzbekistan and the EU until 2016, their
content and implementation. First of all, it should be
noted that diplomatic relations between Uzbekistan
and the EU were established almost 31 years ago - on
November 16, 1994. Over the past quarter of a century,
many historically significant events have occurred in
relations between Tashkent and Brussels.
CONCLUSION AND POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS
Today, it is widely known that Uzbekistan and other
Central Asian republics, located in the heart of Asia,
have formed a unique region, inextricably linked with
the countries of the world in political, economic,
cultural-humanitarian, transport-logistics and energy
terms. The common past and future of the republics of
Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan and
Turkmenistan, all of which border Uzbekistan, are
based on close ties, and there are also unanimous views
in their multilateral political relations with such an
integration structure as the European Union.
In Central Asia-EU political relations, technical and
financial assistance programs aimed at cooperation in
international security, the development of democratic
and market relations, the implementation of important
reforms in the environment, justice, and the judicial
system previously occupied a leading place. However,
since 2019-2020, comprehensive cooperation between
the countries of our region and the EU in trade,
economic, investment, and transport and logistics
based on mutual interest has been intensifying .
It should be noted that the process of cooperation
between the parties in the political-diplomatic,
economic, cultural-humanitarian, educational, and
judicial spheres has not been uniform, and this has also
been influenced by changes in the foreign policy
vectors of the countries of the region and the EU
member states. One of the most important events in
the modern history of the region is undoubtedly the
independence of Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz
Republic, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan, and their
recognition by the world community and the
establishment of their own status, in which European
countries, as well as the European Union, played an
important instrumental role. Consequently, the
internal problems inherent in each of the countries of
the region, whether they are related to economic
reforms or even human rights, require a certain degree
of individual approach. In this regard, it is worth noting
that the political dialogue with the European Union in
the globalization of Central Asia has not been uniform.
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