TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, November 27. During the
3rd EU–Central Asia Economic Forum, European Commissioner for
International Partnerships Jozef Síkela announced the signing of
several new bilateral and regional initiatives aimed at
strengthening cooperation, all aimed at bolstering cooperation in
the realm of critical raw materials, Trend reports via the Delegation of the
European Union to Uzbekistan.
Among the newly signed projects is DATA4CRM, a 7.5 million euro
Team Europe initiative funded by the EU (5 million euro) and the
Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland (2.5 million euro). The
program is set to shake things up in the geodata world, open the
floodgates to geological information, and pave the way for
investment by making sure that reliable, top-notch geological data
is at everyone’s fingertips across Central Asia.
Another signed initiative is SECURE CRM, worth 3 million euro
and implemented in partnership with UNODC/UNECE. This project aims
to strengthen responsible and transparent critical raw materials
value chains. It seeks to bring regional governance in line with
UNFC international standards, ensuring supply-chain accountability
is above board, and fostering sustainable cross-border cooperation
to keep pace with the ever-growing global demand.
The EU–Central Asia Economic Forum, following previous editions
in Bishkek (2021) and Almaty (2023), is organized jointly with the
OECD and the International Trade Centre (ITC). The platform brings
together senior officials from the EU and Central Asia,
representatives of the private sector, and international financial
institutions to discuss investment cooperation, regional
connectivity, and strategic development initiatives.
This year’s forum brought together delegations from 32
countries, with EU Commissioners Jozef Síkela and Marta Kos at the
helm of the European contingent.
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