The February 2023 edition of the IRMO Brief, authored by Urs Unkauf, deals with Central Asia, a region of strategic interest located at the crossroads between Europe and Asia. Regional players like China, Russia and Türkiye currently exert the strongest influence in Central Asia. However, with the ongoing aggression of Russia against Ukraine, countries in the region, especially Kazakhstan, are trying to turn more to the West. Some EU member states, which have been developing economic ties with Russia before its invasion of Ukraine last year, are now looking into Central Asia. For example, Germany is the largest source of foreign direct investment (FDI) in the region. The author also analyses how the EU should use the current turbulent geopolitical situation to build stronger economic and political ties in Central Asia.
Rising Regionalism between the Eagle, the Bear and the Dragon: Central Asia in the Scope of Global Players
