The EU and Central Asia from Technical Assistance to a New Partnership: Challenges and Opportunities

November 1, 2013

Görkem Atsungur, Assistant Professor in European Studies, AUCA

The second in a series of seminars sponsored by CASI to assist faculty in preparing work for publication, this talk will showcase Görkem Atsungur’s research on bilateral relations between the EU and Central Asia. A brief abstract is included below.

The seminar series is meant to provide faculty a forum to present their research and to receive comments and assistance on academic papers. Participants submit a draft of their work in advance of the seminar and then present their work at the seminar itself in a twenty minute talk followed by a forty minute discussion period. The seminars will be organized as working lunches with a meal provided (sandwiches from Sierra). We would ask that those wishing to attend Professor Atsungur’s presentation notify CASI at casiaucakg@gmail.com in order to receive a pdf copy of his essay. Those attending should come prepared to provide feedback in the form of comments, suggestions, criticisms, etc.

Abstract: the European Union shares many common interests with Central Asia such as security, combating terrorism, strengthening the role of human rights, the rule of law, democracy, etc. While the EU faces some challenges engaging with the region, it remains one of the comprehensive actors in the region. The aim of this presentation seeks to evaluate bilateral relations between the EU and Central Asia since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 and to analyze how their relations from technical assistance to partnership have developed.This study has three basic goals: first to understand howthe strategic interests of the EU in Central Asia have changed since 1991, second to analyze basic mechanisms in bilateral relations, and finally, to formulate policy recommendations to improve bilateral relations.

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