'Not here for geopolitical interests or games': the EU's 2019 strategy and the regional and inter-regional competition for Central Asia

Rick  Fawn

doi:10.4324/9781032705859-4

'Not here for geopolitical interests or games': the EU's 2019 strategy and the regional and inter-regional competition for Central Asia

Rick Fawn

School of International Relations

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter

Abstract

The European Union’s (EU) 2019 New Strategy for Central Asia and joint meetings with Central Asia’s five foreign ministers established standards and expectations for mutual relations. Throughout those initiatives and proclamations, the EU stresses its un-geopolitical essence and behaviour, including the statement that affords the article’s title. The article identifies five issue areas that demonstrate that, despite declarations otherwise, the EU reasons and acts geopolitically in this contested region: (1) the promotion of Central Asian regionalism; (2) the inclusion of Central Asia in formations beneficial to the EU; (3) selectively in economic and functionalist cooperation; (4) democracy, human rights and civil society promotion; and (5) international education cooperation. The EU identifies its comparative advantage through cost–benefit analyses and seeks to enhance its attractiveness by offering its allies to Central Asia, while excluding other, present actors. That the EU is often outmanoeuvred does not diminish this subtle yet discernible geopolitical conduct.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	EU–Central Asian interactions
Subtitle of host publication	perceptions, interests and practices
Editors	Rick Fawn, Karolina Kluczewska, Oleg Korneev
Place of Publication	Abingdon, Oxon
Publisher	Routledge Taylor & Francis Group
Chapter	4
Pages	59-82
Number of pages	24
ISBN (Electronic)	9781032705859
ISBN (Print)	9781032705804, 9781032705828
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.4324/9781032705859-4
Publication status	Published - 12 Jul 2024

Publication series

Name	Central Asian studies series

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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Fawn_2024_Not-here-for-geopolitical-interests_CC
Copyright 2024 The author(s). This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/), which permits non-commercial re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, and is not altered, transformed, or built upon in any way.
Final published version, 1.5 MBLicence: CC BY-NC-ND

Cite this

Fawn, R. (2024). 'Not here for geopolitical interests or games': the EU's 2019 strategy and the regional and inter-regional competition for Central Asia. In R. Fawn, K. Kluczewska, & O. Korneev (Eds.), EU–Central Asian interactions: perceptions, interests and practices (pp. 59-82). (Central Asian studies series). Routledge Taylor & Francis Group. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781032705859-4

Fawn, Rick . / 'Not here for geopolitical interests or games' : the EU's 2019 strategy and the regional and inter-regional competition for Central Asia. EU–Central Asian interactions: perceptions, interests and practices. editor / Rick Fawn ; Karolina Kluczewska ; Oleg Korneev. Abingdon, Oxon : Routledge Taylor & Francis Group, 2024. pp. 59-82 (Central Asian studies series).

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abstract = "The European Union{\textquoteright}s (EU) 2019 New Strategy for Central Asia and joint meetings with Central Asia{\textquoteright}s five foreign ministers established standards and expectations for mutual relations. Throughout those initiatives and proclamations, the EU stresses its un-geopolitical essence and behaviour, including the statement that affords the article{\textquoteright}s title. The article identifies five issue areas that demonstrate that, despite declarations otherwise, the EU reasons and acts geopolitically in this contested region: (1) the promotion of Central Asian regionalism; (2) the inclusion of Central Asia in formations beneficial to the EU; (3) selectively in economic and functionalist cooperation; (4) democracy, human rights and civil society promotion; and (5) international education cooperation. The EU identifies its comparative advantage through cost–benefit analyses and seeks to enhance its attractiveness by offering its allies to Central Asia, while excluding other, present actors. That the EU is often outmanoeuvred does not diminish this subtle yet discernible geopolitical conduct.",

author = "Rick Fawn",

note = "Funding: This work was supported by research project {\textquoteleft}Contested Global Governance, Transformed Global Governors? International Organisations and “Weak” States{\textquoteright} (GLOBALCONTEST), funded by the French National Research Agency [grant number: ANR-16-ACHN-0034].",

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Fawn, R 2024, 'Not here for geopolitical interests or games': the EU's 2019 strategy and the regional and inter-regional competition for Central Asia. in R Fawn, K Kluczewska & O Korneev (eds), EU–Central Asian interactions: perceptions, interests and practices. Central Asian studies series, Routledge Taylor & Francis Group, Abingdon, Oxon, pp. 59-82. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781032705859-4

'Not here for geopolitical interests or games': the EU's 2019 strategy and the regional and inter-regional competition for Central Asia. / Fawn, Rick .
EU–Central Asian interactions: perceptions, interests and practices. ed. / Rick Fawn; Karolina Kluczewska; Oleg Korneev. Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge Taylor & Francis Group, 2024. p. 59-82 (Central Asian studies series).

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter

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PY - 2024/7/12

Y1 - 2024/7/12

N2 - The European Union’s (EU) 2019 New Strategy for Central Asia and joint meetings with Central Asia’s five foreign ministers established standards and expectations for mutual relations. Throughout those initiatives and proclamations, the EU stresses its un-geopolitical essence and behaviour, including the statement that affords the article’s title. The article identifies five issue areas that demonstrate that, despite declarations otherwise, the EU reasons and acts geopolitically in this contested region: (1) the promotion of Central Asian regionalism; (2) the inclusion of Central Asia in formations beneficial to the EU; (3) selectively in economic and functionalist cooperation; (4) democracy, human rights and civil society promotion; and (5) international education cooperation. The EU identifies its comparative advantage through cost–benefit analyses and seeks to enhance its attractiveness by offering its allies to Central Asia, while excluding other, present actors. That the EU is often outmanoeuvred does not diminish this subtle yet discernible geopolitical conduct.

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ER -

Fawn R. 'Not here for geopolitical interests or games': the EU's 2019 strategy and the regional and inter-regional competition for Central Asia. In Fawn R, Kluczewska K, Korneev O, editors, EU–Central Asian interactions: perceptions, interests and practices. Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge Taylor & Francis Group. 2024. p. 59-82. (Central Asian studies series). doi: 10.4324/9781032705859-4

'Not here for geopolitical interests or games': the EU's 2019 strategy and the regional and inter-regional competition for Central Asia

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