Kazakhstan's contribution to elaboration of ''The EU and Central Asia: Strategy for a New Partnership for 2007-2013''

''The EU and Central Asia: Strategy for a New Partnership'' was adopted on June 22, 2007 during GermanChairmanship in the European Union. Although the Strategy is the EU internal document, Kazakhstan submitted its proposals toGermany on regional integration, economic development, democratization, energy and security as was agreed. Astana suggested to takeinto account the CA countries tasks such as building the institutes of market economy and economic systems diversification, variousneeds in increasing the efficiency of economy management and private sector development, human potential expansion, publicadministration efficiency, enhancement of the investment climate, attracting new technologies, development of highly technological andexport-oriented production. It was expedient to supplement the regional approach with the individual focused one. Kazakhstansuggested stating the important role that Russia, China, the USA and other countries played in regional integration within thecooperation with the EU. The EU gaining the observer status in Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) and the Conference onInteraction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA) was also initiated. It seemed necessary to create additional elements forcooperation in agriculture, transport and logistical services, construction, metallurgy, tourism, oil and gas engineering, food, chemicaland textile industries, to establish special economic zones, technological clusters and information technologies parks, small and mediumbusiness development, the solution of the issues related to water and energy resources consumption, high technological and sciencedrivensectors development, increasing the number of private investments into the scientific and technological areas. The state anddemocratic institutes development was supposed to be implemented taking into account the historical and cultural diversity of theCentral Asian states, the gradual process of democratization, unpredictability of radical changes and unproductiveness of pressure in anyof its forms. The importance of the common European energy policy in Central Asia, the need to develop the energy dialogue,cooperation on TRACECA and INOGEIT projects, the energy resources transit according to the Energy Charter Treaty were also noted.Overall the Central Asian states proposals were taken into account, including those stated at the meeting of the Heads of foreign policyservices in Astana within ''The EU TROIKA - Central Asia'' on March 28, 2007. The development of the Strategy stimulatedKazakhstan to present its own vision of the perspectives for cooperation with the EU, which, in its turn, led to the elaboration of ''Path toEurope'' state program for 2009-2011, which took its place among the key initiatives of President of Kazakhstan N. Nazarbaeyev,successfully implemented in recent years.

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