International Conference on “Prospects of EU-Central Asia Relations” in Almaty, Kazakhstan
The Institut für Europäische Politik (IEP) and its partner the Centre International de Formation Européenne (CIFE) have organized an international conference in Almaty, Kazakhstan from the 28th to the 29th of August 2014. 70 participants gathered at the conference in Almaty, made up of our EUCAIS master students, several EUCAIS alumni and a number of speakers and attendees.
The International Conference provided an opportunity for intense analysis and discussion on intra-regional Central Asian issues, around topics like conflict resolution and security, development paths and Great Powers interests involved in this multi-facetted region at the crossroads of Eastern and Western cultures. Experts from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Kashmir on the one hand and Europe (France, Germany, Greece and Latvia) on the other contributed to shape a picture of internal and external relations and influences in Central Asia, which was fascinating by its complexity and posed an intellectual as well as a political challenge. Universities and think-tanks (e.g. the German-Kazakh University, the Al-Farabi State University, KIMEP-University and the OSCE Academy), governments (the Ambassador of Latvia, addressing the agenda of the incoming EU Presidency) and the European Commission (represented by Gerhard Sabathil, Director at the External Action Service) guaranteed the academic quality and practical applicability of the debates.
Below, you can find the agenda of the conference, speeches and presentations during the conference as well as the academic papers of the working groups for download.
Revised versions of selected papers have been published in an issue of “l’Europe en formation”, which is dedicated to the relations between the European Union and Central Asia and developments in contemporary Central Asia. Scholars from both regions deliver analyses covering the realms of democracy, natural resources, security and the regional perspective.
More information on the issue are available on the website of „L’Europe en formation“.
Conference Agenda (PDF)
Conference Speeches and Presentations
- Dr. Gerhard Sabathil, Director, European External Action Service
Key Note Speech I: Prospects of EU-Central Asia Relations (PDF) - Dr. Pal Dunay, Director, OSCE-Academy, Bishkek
Key Note Speech II: Prospects of EU-Central Asia Relations - Dr. Laurent Baechler, Director of the MAEIS, Cife
The Water-Energy Nexus in Central Asia (PDF) - Dr. iur. Barbara Janusz-Pawletta, Kazakh-German Univerity, Almaty
Transboundary water management in Central Asialegal aspects (PDF) - Dr. Sebastian Krapohl, Assistant Professor of International Relations, University of Amsterdam
Regional Integration in Central Asia (PDF) - Prof. Dr. Dr. hc mult. Peter-Christian Müller-Graff, Honorary Jean Monnet Professor, Executive Director of the “Institut für deutsches und europäisches Gesellschafts- und Wirtschaftsrecht”, Heidelberg University
Natural Resources in Central Asia: A Challenge to regional Law and Politics? (PDF)
Conference Papers and Introductions
- Dr. Vera Axyonova/Dr. Fabienne Bossuyt*
Mapping the Substance of the EU’s Civil Society Support in Central Asia: from Neo-liberal to State-led Civil Society - Malik Borbugulov
Problems of the economic integration of the countries of the Central Asia in the context of globalization (PDF) - Dr. Fabienne Bossuyt
The Impact of the Central and East European EU Member States on the EU’s Democracy Promotion Policy Towards Central Asia (PDF) - Tatyana Brekalova/Bakhytkul Tokbergenova
Teaching English for Specific Purposes to the Specialists of International Relations at Higher Education in Kazakhstan: experience and challenges (PDF) - Prof. Dr. Rustam Burnashev
Securitization of Terrorism in Weak States: The Case of Central Asia (PDF) - Dr. Matteo Garavoglia
OSCE / ODIHR EOMs: modus operandi and prospects for the region (PDF) - Baktybek Kainazaov
Democracy promotion in Central Asia: Civil society development in post-Soviet Central Asian countries-case studies of NGO development in the region (PDF) - Prof. Dr. Zhenis Kembayev
Partnership between the Republic of Kazakhstan and the European Union: Problems and Perspectives (PDF) - Dr. Sebastian Krapohl
Regionalisation in a Comparative Perspective (PDF) - Stefan Kurzmann
Between Utilizing and Defending: Central Asia in Times of Global Student Mobility (PDF) - Dr. Renata Mantel
EU-Central Asian Relations in Energy Sector (A revised version of the paper has been published in “l’Europe en formation”) - Nazira Momosheva
Relations between Kyrgyzstan and the EU in the context of the European Strategy (2007–2013) (PDF) - Ann-Kathrin Rothermel
Civil Society conceptions in the Kyrgyz Republic (PDF) - Aijan Sharshenova*
European Union’s Democracy Promotion in Central Asia: Implementation in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan - Esther Somfalvy*
Transition or business as usual? A focus on the Kyrgyz Republic’s parliament - Olga Alinda Spaiser*
EU-Central Asia Relations in the Context of Geostrategic Competition - Guzal Sultankodjaeva
International students in Japan: a new form of international labor migration (PDF) - Elmira Taukebayeva
To become a democratic state – what does it mean for Kazakhstan? (PDF) - Yakovleva Polina
Security challenges in Central Asia: The role of regional institutions in regional security (PDF)
*As this paper is under review for publication in an academic journal, full access to the conference paper is not possible. If you have any questions concerning this paper please contact the author.