EU announces first Central Asia summit to be held in April

BRUSSELS

EU chief Antonio Costa has said the bloc will hold its first ever summit with Central Asian leaders in April, as Brussels steps up efforts to peel the region away from Russia.

Moscow's war on Ukraine has pushed the European Union and ex-Soviet states of Central Asia closer together as the Kremlin's long-time allies have hedged their relations with Russia.

The EU is keen to bolster relations with mineral-rich countries like Kazakhstan as Europe seeks to diversify supplies of crucial materials.

Brussels is also on a push to broaden trading relations around the globe in the face of US President Donald Trump's protectionist policies.

Costa confirmed the meeting in Samarkand in April after a phone call with Kazakhstan's President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. Costa will be accompanied by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

Costa said Kazakhstan "is an important partner of the EU, and we will continue to strengthen trade and connectivity links."

He also hailed Astana's "principled stance in supporting a rules-based international order."

Kazakhstan is a member of the Moscow-led CSTO security alliance but has expressed concern about Russia's almost three-year war on Ukraine, which Tokayev has refused to condone.

Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Kazakhstan in November in a bid to shore up ties.

The EU has also been pushing Central Asian countries to crack down on the flow of sanctioned goods to Russia that could be used to help Moscow's war effort.