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T
HE EUROPEAN UNION MODEL IN CENTRAL ASIAN INTEGRATION
Student:
Khayrullaev Abubakir
Scientific Supervisor:
E'tibor Sultonova
University of World Economy and Diplomacy
Department of Applied Political Science
Email address:
xayrullayevabubakir202@gmail.com
Annotation:
This article aims to discuss what role the model of European Union can play in
forming and nurturing an integration atmosphere in the Central Asian region. Similar to other
regions of the world, Central Asian countries have, in recent years, been paying attention to
integration. This can be seen in the consultative forums in which the Central Asian heads of state
and government meet, which of course helps to forge regional dialogue and is likely to be
important in deepening integration in the future. Without doubt, the European Union structure is
the best integration model in the world because it is the only international organization which has
a legal order, supranational institutions, and a monetary union which illustrate the existence of
well functioning integration. Therefore, although it is possible to argue that there is a possibility
to construct an integration model in Central Asia using the EU approach, there are many
obstacles that stand in the way of making this a reality.
Keywords:
Regional dialogue, Consultative meeting, European Union, C5+1, Economic
integration, Great Game, SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organization), CIAP (Central Asia
Investment Partnership), EAEU (Eurasian Economic Union).
Introduction
.
The European Union gathers 27 member states to constitute a political and economic community
across Europe. The modern-day mission of the European Union is to promote the well-being,
freedom, connectivity, mobility, and trade facilitation for its citizens. And the greatest example
of integration would thereby be the development of Central Asian countries through the
cooperation within the framework of the European Union
. Assuming Central Asia aims at
comprehensive economic and social development, it should take advantage of lessons learned
from European integration. Interregional cooperation initiatives and exchange of experiences
between the European Union and Central Asia could be harnessed in rejuvenating integration
processes in the region.
The process of integration began in Europe after the Second World War, following a series of
integration attempts. For economic growth, security, and lasting reconciliation between the
French and Germans, several Western European countries sought the deeper economic, social,
and political ties after the war.
The Treaty of Paris was signed in 1951 by six countries: Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg,
the Netherlands, and West Germany. The treaty was enforced in 1952 and gave rise to the
European Coal and Steel Community; this is, thus, considered the start of efforts to integrate
1
https://www.britannica.com/topic/European-Union
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Europe as a Union. The union was then officially established with the coming into force of the
Maastricht Treaty on November 1, 1993. The treaty sought to forge a closer political and
economic union by introducing a single currency (the euro), a shared foreign and security policy,
and common citizenship
.
A model was envisioned. After gaining independence, the Central Asian countries started
pushing for close collaboration. In July 1993, the governments of Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan
signed an agreement on deepening economic considerations for the period 1994-2000. To give
lifeblood to integration, on January 10, 1994, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan signed an agreement to
set up a "Single Economic Space." Kazakhstan joined the agreement later on January 16, 1994.
From 1991 to 2006, the rapprochement process in Central Asia went steadily and successfully.
However, it would be worth also mentioning a few hurdles confronted along its way. Likewise,
the process of forming the union had not been an easy one-it had made an attempt But unlike
Europe, the Central Asian countries have very close ties in history, ethno-cultural bonds, and
value systems. In 1993, therefore, a "Central Asian Economic Community" was established,
where steps were underway, also, for a common market. It is worth mentioning nearly fifty
project ideas of common interest were worked out in this sphere. Full-fledged economic
integration was supposed to be put in force throughout the region by the year 2000. Eventually,
the "Central Asian Economic Community" became the "Central Asian Cooperation
Organization." This was a progression from economic integration to political integration.
There was valid reasoning, clearly evidenced in the presidents’ value-based statements. In the
first place, Kazakhstan received a fair amount of assistance by virtue of its natural resources and
by the time the integration processes began, Kazakhstan was able to experience phenomenal
success. Unfortunately, by 2006, the integration process collapsed because the Central Asian
Cooperation Organization took as a member a powerful non-regional state, the Russian
Federation.
While the idea of a Central Asian integration still remains relevant, none of these new proposals
have been advocated inside Central Asia. For example, in 2005, Kazakh President Nursultan
Nazarbayev proposed a step towards integration, but Uzbekistan refused to support this attempt
for Uzbekistan’s own reasons, and took the position of developing bilateral relations as a priority.
Consequently, the organization has lost its identity as a strictly regional organization. Similarly,
Russia’s accession to the CACO can be viewed as a factor that partially stalled the Central Asian
rapprochement policy
. Despite the number of regional organizations expanding in almost every
region of the world after the Cold War, attempts to strengthen regional cooperation among
Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan failed. Some Central Asian
countries were involved in wider regional organizations such as the Eurasian Economic Union
(EAEU) and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), but there was a decline in
integration after the "Central Asian Cooperation Organization" was disbanded
. With regard to
the cultural, economic, and political context the absence of a regional organization among the
five Central Asian countries was somewhat contentious. Since Uzbekistan's renewed and focused
2
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/social-sciences/european-integration
3
https://european-union.europa.eu/principles-countries-history/history-eu_en
4
https://m.kun.uz/uz/news/2021/01/05/markaziy-osiyo-davlatlari-ozaro-birlasha-oladim
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attention to Central Asia in 2016, thawing relations, good neighborliness, and a pragmatic
foreign policy have allowed regionalism to gain traction.
The geostrategic position of Central Asia does not provide sea access, and its valuable natural
resources will not last forever. Being in the center of Eurasia must provide a shared imperative to
come together as a region, not to remain on the outskirts of development. Central Asia mirrors
some of the common challenges pre-integration European countries once faced.
First and foremost, it is important to note the ethno-cultural community of the peoples of Central
Asia. Central Asian peoples are made up of groups with ethnicities of, predominantly, Turkic-
Mongol origin and mostly Persian origin. The regional peoples realized there are many
differences in clothing and our outside appearance but we believe that our identity has been
shaped by a shared culture existing in traditions of Islam and non-Islamic, pre-Islamic traditions.
In Europe, a common religion and traditions of its peoples in terms of ethnic or cultural
backgrounds was an important principle of a 'shared civilization' and there was a greater
realization that it was a 'founding principle'. In addition to the common cultural basis from which
to move forward, the economic relationship that exists among Central Asian nation-states, unlike
that of European nation-states after the war when economic ties were significantly disrupted
along with cultural ties.
Like in traditional Europe and the challenge of shortages that existed in economic sectors and
resources, there also exist shortages. For example, in the last century mutual cooperation in the
coal and steel areas minimised bilateral tension between the primary centrifugal force ie France
and Germany of initial European integration and served in affecting an originally frictionless
enabled regional partnership.
By dealing with the coal and steel question and relatively free movement of sovereignty with the
well-documented and resourced ties to mutually agreed frameworks like, among others, trade,
transport, and, agriculture. In Central Asia the supply of water and energy remains one of the
biggest challenges, which is why most regional cooperation initiatives pay most of attention to
these sphere. If the countries in the region can agree that water is a common good and resolve the
issue of to unsustainable use of water then they might come to some form of agreement for
energy supply. If they can also cooperate together to create a transport system, they could then
cooperate on trade and harmonization of custom policy.
Thirdly another similarity is that they have external threats, which can be political competition
between big powers wanting control of this resource-rich region and transnational threats
. For
example, the countries in Central Asia face the same threats such as drugs trafficking, terrorism
and the ideologies that motivate them, so efforts to come together to remove these shared threats,
just like Europe stood up a shared threat of communism, which could serve as another factor of
integration for the region. Analysts say that one of the primary achievements during the time of
the "Central Asian Cooperation Organization" was the signing of an agreement to collectively
combat terrorism, political and religious extremism, transnational organized crime, and other
security issues. To date, the establishment of a nuclear-weapon-free zone in Central Asia has
been another major success of regional cooperation area.
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https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/IP_19_2494
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The region also has elements that are resembling opportunities in the European Union relating to
establishing a unified visa system. In Europe, the major players, primarily Germany and France,
started the process toward implementing the common visa system. Then, on 14 June, 1985, the
"Schengen Agreement" was signed, which included the internal border between countries will
progressively be dismantled while reinforcing control over the external borders.
In Central Asia, the region has also begun steps in the direction of implementing a unified visa
regime. An initiative of the "Silk Road" visa system has been deliberated by officials Uzbekistan
and Kazakhstan in cooperation with bordering countries which includes Tajikistan and
Kyrgyzstan who expressed a great deal of interest. Initiative organizers stated that it would aid in
resolving immigration-related concerns while also establishing a surge of tourist to the region.
Noted that the effort would allow foreign travelers to immerse themselves in the history of cities
on the historical "Great Silk Road," and also take in those places as they are now.
The European Union has created the European Peace Facility, which is worth 5 billion euros.
This funding will aid partner countries of the EU in enhancing their security-related capacities.
The funding covers the period from 2021–2027 activities of the fund. Overall, the aim is to boost
the ability of the EU to prevent the escalation of conflicts, to maintain peace and enforce
international stability and security. The funding will go to peace expansion mission in partner
countries and to enhance the capability of their armed forces.
In a similar manner, the Central Asian countries have agreed to create the Central Asian
Economic Fund. The interest in completing projects in the Central Asia region in various areas of
oil and gas, energy, chemical industry, transport, construction, banking, pharmaceuticals and
other areas of the economy give this fund a high chance of success
. The countries of the region,
therefore, express their interest in developing a "Central Asia Investment Fund" intended to
promote development in the form of large-scale infrastructure-related projects. The creation of
such funds may be important in helping to foster a pull together of the countries in the Central
Asia.
If Central Asian states want to achieve a mode of successful integration, they must continue to
collaborate with the European Union. In our history, over the last century, we have developed the
most structured and successful form of integration in the European Union. In 2007, a regionally
based assistance strategy was established between the European Union and Central Asia for the
2007-2013 time span.
The European Council documents began to really emphasize the development of transport and
logistics systems as one of the integration difficulties or barriers, in the Central Asian context.
According to Clause 15: "Cooperation in the fields of energy and transport between the
European Union and Central Asia is crucial to support the integration of Central Asian countries
into both intra-regional and international markets." In 2019, the European Union adopted a new
strategy for cooperation with Central Asia in a meeting in Brussels for the time period 2020-
2027.
Central Asia is a region of great geostrategic and geoeconomic significance. With the new
phase of revitalization of multilateral regional cooperation being predominately linked to
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https://fx.sauder.ubc.ca//euro/euro.html
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Shavkat Mirziyoyev's accession to power in Uzbekistan in 2016 and the comprehensive reforms
initiated in the country, Uzbekistan's open policy means that regional cooperation is currently
progressing. President Shavkat Mirziyoyev's initiative under the auspices of the United Nations
to establish a regional centre developing "Transport and Communication" links remains of great
significance for the regional countries. The head of state also proposed in 2017 the initiative to
organize the "Consultative Meeting of the Heads of Central Asian States."
.This important
initiative received a great deal of support and subsequently acted upon it swiftly because it
matched the desires of our kindred peoples
. The first summit took place in March of 2018 in
Nur-Sultan, the capital of Kazakhstan, and followed by a second summit in November 2019 in
Tashkent. Uzbekistan, as the initiator of the summits and the host of the second summit, put forth
many regional ideas. However, Turkmenistan was represented in the second summit not by its
parliamentary president, but by its president Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow
. 3rd Summit of the
"Consultative Meeting of the Heads of Central Asian States" met on August 6, 2021, in the
"Avaza" national tourist zone in Turkmenistan. The significance of these consultative meetings
of heads of states or governments from Central Asia could shape the direction of the new
political reality
Perhaps the unification process among the Central Asian states will not be realized in the same
way as the EU. There are many contexts for that.
From the perspective of economic maturity, Central Asian countries show varying degrees of
economic development. For example, in this area, can one compare Kazakhstan's economic
indicators with Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan's moderate indicators such that Kyrgyzstan and
Tajikistan would be at the low end? In contrast, the countries that made up the European Union
had relatively similar economic developments levels. This is one of the reasons that attempts
made by European countries to create a single currency in the 1970s started to yield results only
thirty years later
. The euro has been the common currency in Europe since January 1, 2002,
which also represents the potential for European economic strength.
Secondly, Central Asian countries base regional cooperation and foreign policy on their own
political interests. For regional integration to occur successfully, it is very effective if the region's
leadership is united and coordinated. The states have different views by their foreign policy but
the European Union has continued function today, and is the most successful integrative union in
history
.
At last, external factors impede the economic unification of Central Asian states. The process of
governmental and economic integration in Europe faced next to no disruptions from other states.
In contrast, Russia and China are actively pursuing economic hegemony in Central Asia. Clearly,
regional integration cannot, in their view, benefit their interests. Russia and China's attempts to
7
https://davr24.uz/archives/5614
8
https://president.uz/oz/lists/view/4530
10
https://m.kun.uz/uz/news/2021/01/05/markaziy-osiyo-davlatlari-ozaro-birlasha-oladimi
11
https://tradingeconomics.com/country-list/gdp?continent=asia
12
https://carnegieendowment.org/2018/04/19/reflecting-on-quarter-century-of-russia-s-relations-with-central-
asia-pub-76117
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assert both political and economic influence in Central Asia are often termed the "New Great
Game"
Conclusion
The process of integration is the vehicle that can bring about the most advantages and
benefits for all concerned countries; more than 60-years of concept from the European Union
will demonstrate that this process takes both time and political will. Central Asia needs to learn
from examples of the European experience, and with the help of regional and international
experts, develop integration initiatives with the further assistance of the EU. Once the countries
make attempts to be open, the region will see far more attractiveness for investment. The EU is
already promoting this idea by advancing selected regional programs in Central Asia. Second,
Central Asia must take the opportunity to have its regional initiatives institutionalised. This will
lead to more effective cooperation and act as a further guarantee to prevent states from going to
war or regional conflict. The priority areas are the common use of water resources, energy
supply, trade, and the protection of borders. Now is the chance for all the countries in Central
Asia to create favorable conditions for entrepreneurs who, as a result of their own internal
motivation, are the true supporters of integration projects. The integration process in Central
Asia is crucial for the region's security, stability, and economic growth. Enhanced political
encompass of the countries that makes up the region, corporate partnerships in trade, energy,
transport obligations, border security, and planned joint use of shared water resources, can bring
about a more stable and rapidly developing region. Likewise, cooperation in the joint fight
against terrorism, climate change, foreign interference and drug trafficking challenges will
further strengthen Central Asia's overall competency and develop the region as a competitive
region in the world.
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