672nd Meeting of the Permanent Council
Mr Chairman, allow me to use this opportunity to quote the section concerning Central Asia from the Conclusions of the European Council that took place in Brussels on 21 and 22 June 2007:
Begin quote: “The European Council adopted an EU strategy for a new partnership with Central Asia. This strategy will serve as an overall framework for EU relations with Central Asia, including in the fields of human rights, rule of law, good governance and democracy, education, economic development, trade and investment, energy and transport, environmental policies, migration and inter-cultural dialogue. The strategy defines the EU's priorities for its cooperation with the region as a whole, but implementation will be tailored to the specific requirements and performance of each Central Asian state. The European Council asks the Council and the Commission to regularly review progress in implementing this strategy and to submit a first progress report to the European Council by the middle of 2008.” End of quote.
Mr. Chairman, the European Union is convinced that the implementation of the strategy on Central Asia will also contribute to the objectives of the OSCE in this region. We see numerous areas where the efforts deployed both by the EU and the OSCE are complementary and mutually reinforcing, and we are looking forward to the synergies that close cooperation can produce.
