The European Union formulated its foreign political strategy in Central Asia on June 30. Die Deutsche Welle reports that the new strategy was presented by German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier. Its discussion was organized at the close of German chairmanship in the European Union.

Steinmeier invited foreign ministers of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan, deputy foreign minister of Uzbekistan, and a representative of Turkmenistan to Berlin to discuss the new EU strategy.

The concept stipulates closer political, economic, and ecological interaction with the former Soviet republic. Financial aid to the Central Asian countries will be more than doubled and amount to 750 million euros. All of that constitutes EU's reaction to the growing importance of the promising region.

Energy products account for 50% of all EU import these days and specialists warn that the figure will rise to 70% in another 25 years. It is only logical therefore that effort is being made nowadays to ensure stability and diversity of deliveries. Addressing representatives of the Central Asian countries in Berlin, Steinmeier urged them to intensify energy dialogue with the European Union and pool efforts to ensure better access to the Caspian oil and gas.

Die Deutsche Welle points out in the meantime that raw materials constitute a potent but not the only catalyst of EU's activeness in the Central Asian region. International coordination of efforts is expected to abate intensiveness of these potential threats.

Neither does the new EU concept leave human rights out. That the state of affairs with them in the region leaves much to be desired. European diplomats welcome everything that promotes democratization of Central Asia - like abolition of capital punishment in Kyrgyzstan (President Kurmanbek Bakiyev signed this law the other day).