@article{article_268023, title={The European Union’s Central Asia Strategy}, journal={Bilig}, pages={11–43}, year={2003}, author={Çayhan, Esra}, keywords={European Union, Central Asia, TACIS, transition, Strategy Paper 2002-2006 for Central Asia, Indicative Programme 2002-2004 for Central Asia}, abstract={For more than a decade no w, the European Union has been assisting the transition process in the former Soviet Union states through the TACIS (Technical Assistance to the Commonwealth of Independent States) programme. 13 Eastern European and Central Asian countries have received grant-financed technical assistance through TACIS. During the nineties the Union mostly favoured the Eastern European partner states, rather than the Central Asian ones. However, following the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States, and the war in Afghanistan, achieving stability and security in Central Asia turned out to be an important issue on the international agenda. Under these circumstances the European Union has developed a new strategy towards Central Asia for the years 2002-2006, with the aim of promoting stability and security of the 5 countries of Central Asia -namely, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajütistan, Türkmenistan, and Uzbekistan- by assisting them in their pursuit of sustainable economic development and poverty reduction. This paper assesses the Union’s new Central Asia strategy, which is an initiative incorporating TACIS assistance to the region.}, number={26}, publisher={Khoja Akhmet Yassawi International Kazakh-Turkish University}