The Group of Seven (G7) and the European Union (EU) are actively promoting relations with Central Asian countries.
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| G7 countries and the EU expressed their desire to strengthen relations with Central Asian countries. (Source: Reuters) |
According to the Neue Zürcher Zeitung, in the recent G7 Foreign Ministers' Conference, the member countries of this organization, along with the EU, invited for the first time five Central Asian countries (Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan) to attend.
Rajorshi Roy, a Central Asia expert at the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defense Studies and Analyses in India, said there are currently nine powers competing for influence in the region, including not only Russia and China, but also Iran, Türkiye, the United States, Germany, France and Japan.
Among the factors that enhance the geopolitical value of the Central Asian region are raw materials such as oil, uranium and gold.
In addition, this region is an important gateway connecting Europe and China. In this situation, Central Asian countries want to increase their strategic autonomy and reduce their dependence on Russia and China.
According to Mr. Roy, strengthening strategic autonomy is necessary, especially in the context of Russia having deep economic and defense relations with many Central Asian countries, while China has leverage thanks to high loans for infrastructure projects.
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