Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2007-06-07-Speech-4-036"
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"en.20070607.3.4-036"2
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"Mr President, whilst all attention today is, of course, focused on the future of the constitutional process, I should like to address a different issue. We are equally impressed by the initiatives which the Presidency has taken, not least with regard to Central Asia. It is good, as I see it, for the European Union to shift its attention to that part of Asia, which is very close to Europe and the EU’s new neighbours. So far, it has been a blank area on our map, and I think it is important to support the Presidency’s initiatives in this area.
The developments in that region are of huge importance to the European Union, whether the issue is energy policy or the stability of the countries in question, including in connection with our own presence in Afghanistan. Where that region is going is not quite clear. We are dealing with different countries where different processes are underway. To gain our own impression of the situation there, we travelled with a small delegation of our group to Kazakhstan last week to size up the developments in that region. Upon arrival, you notice that the interest in the European Union over there is considerable and that relations, not least in the economic sphere, between a country such as Kazakhstan and the European Union develop at great speed. The European Union is now by far the most important trading partner of a country such as Kazakhstan. You notice that people over there are keen to work with the European Union, because those countries are wedged in between China and Russia and stand to benefit from a third powerful partner in order to be able to guarantee the balance and independence of the region.
What is also of interest is to establish that the focus is not just on energy and cooperation. There are options in that area, although we have to tread carefully given the fact that Russia recently landed a number of important deals thanks to fresh agreements with Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. In the longer term, however, there is still a great deal of scope, as I see it, for energy cooperation with a country such as Kazakhstan.
Finally, what is important in a balanced policy is also, of course, the human rights relationship. The European Union should draw a distinction between countries such as Kazakhstan, where a positive impact is possible, and countries such as Turkmenistan and particularly Uzbekistan, which have regimes which, as we see it, leave little scope for cooperation.
I should like to make one final remark. The Russian influence in that region is still very tangible. What I should like to stress at the end of my brief speech is that we must avoid a competitive battle of some sort between Russia and the European Union over Central Asia. We should strive for cooperation in that area too, including in the field of energy. We will need Russia, too, for the development of further energy relations with the Central Asian area. Once again, though, I should like to congratulate the Presidency on this new initiative."@en1
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