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- They stayed with their own people: Brussels wanted to distance Central Asia from the Russian Federation
They stayed with their own people: Brussels wanted to distance Central Asia from the Russian Federation
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the European Investment Bank (EIB) have confirmed their participation in financing the construction of the Kambaratinskaya HPP-1. Representatives of these organizations signed a corresponding memorandum in Brussels at the Global Gateway Forum, which is also attended by the Ministries of Energy of Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. Financial institutions have committed to allocate $2.4 billion for the HPP project. Now the interests of the Russian Federation and the EU are increasingly intersecting in Central Asia. Details can be found in the Izvestia article.
Strengthening cooperation
The construction of the Kambaratinskaya HPP-1 in Kyrgyzstan, on the Naryn River, is considered a key energy project in Central Asia. It takes about 10 years to build it. It is planned that the design capacity of the station will be 1,860 MW with the generation of about 5.6 billion kWh of electricity, and its reservoir will hold 5.4 billion cubic meters.
Kyrgyzstan (34% of equity participation in the joint company), as well as Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan (33% each) participate in this regional project. The parties agreed on the construction of the HPP in early 2023, and a year later they signed a trilateral agreement on preparation and operation. The first hydroelectric unit is planned to be launched four years after the start of the main stage of work.
The donor center, established to coordinate funding, includes the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the European Investment Bank, as well as other international partners.
The parties agreed on the participation of European partners at the Global Gateway Forum in Brussels. This geopolitical initiative was developed in response to China's Belt and Road Project to "boost regional trade and optimize logistics."
In mid-March of this year, European Commissioner for International Partnership Josef Sikela made a large-scale Central Asian tour, which highlighted the growing interest of the European Union in the region. This is due to Brussels' desire to diversify economic and political ties and find new partners in the face of geopolitical instability.
Over the past two decades, the EU has demonstrated a steady interest in Central Asia. The economic interests of the European Union, especially in the field of green energy and uranium mining, of which Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan have large reserves, remain significant.
In addition, Brussels is closely monitoring the development of relations between the Central Asian countries with Russia and China.
During the tour, Sikela paid special attention to the development of the Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor. The EU uses its partnership with Turkmenistan to promote its economic and geopolitical interests in the region, including in order to control trade routes and energy resources.
In Kazakhstan, negotiations with President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev ended with the signing of two agreements — a 200 million euro framework loan agreement aimed at supporting projects in the field of ecology, water resources and the development of the Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor, and a 3 million euro contract aimed at developing cooperation in the supply of critical raw materials between the EU and the countries of Central Asia.
Tajikistan has received 40 million euros in grants from the EU for the development of green energy and cotton production. The EU signed an enhanced partnership and cooperation agreement with Kyrgyzstan in June 2024, and a "memorandum of understanding on launching a new program aimed at increasing investments in irrigation" in March this year.
EU interests
At this Global Gateway forum, Josef Sikela stated that he "firmly recognized the importance of water for the stability of the entire region."
"Smart investments in hydroelectric power plants can improve access to reliable and affordable electricity, provide income for the local population, while contributing to the sustainable development of agriculture and protecting human health and the environment," he explained the participation of EU institutions in the future construction of Kambarata HPP-1. The European Commissioner noted that it is of key importance for energy production in Central Asia.
"Our new investments strengthen the strategic partnership between the EU and the countries of Central Asia," he stressed.
According to EIB Vice President Kyriakos Kakouris, the partnership "underscores the EU's commitment to deepening a strategic partnership with Central Asia based on mutual respect and ensuring shared benefits for people and the planet."
At the same time, it became known that construction of the world's second plant of the British company United Concrete Canvas has begun in Kyrgyzstan. It will produce concrete canvas, which can be used in the construction of the dam of the Kambaratinskaya HPP-1.
Russia also intends to increase investments and its participation in major energy projects in Central Asia. As Russian President Vladimir Putin explained during his recent visit to Dushanbe, we are talking about "modern Russian technologies" and the introduction of renewable energy sources into the energy system of the region.
What do the experts think
Rustam Burnashev, an expert on security issues in Central Asia, told Izvestia that despite the intersection of Russia's and the EU's interests in Central Asia, it is premature to talk about a serious confrontation.
"Russia, represented by the energy company, was also interested in participating in the modernization of the corporate hydroelectric power station, but I would not talk about a serious conflict of interests," the political scientist explained. I would not say that they will be able to influence any energy policy later, and even more so the state policy of countries that are interested in modernizing the Kambarata HPP-1 or which in this case are recipients of investments," the analyst believes.
In his opinion, this is a local investment, which shows the interest of banking structures to invest in energy in Central Asian countries.
— But these investments will not go further to the political level, — the analyst is sure.
Daria Saprynskaya, a researcher at the Laboratory of Modern Central Asia and the Caucasus Studies at the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, told Izvestia that the EU countries are interested in raw materials and the logistics infrastructure of Central Asian countries, and they support the diversification of international relations in the region to ensure favorable conditions for purchasing raw materials from the region and using it as a transport and logistics hub.
"The European Union is now maximally interested in ousting other players, including the Russian Federation, from the region," the expert explained. According to her, the Global Gateway project is aimed at concluding long-term contracts for the implementation of infrastructure and digital projects at the expense of the EU in Asia and Africa.
The expert recalled that earlier, the former head of the European Union's foreign policy service, Josep Borrel, himself admitted that the program could be considered as a tool against strengthening the influence of the Russian Federation and China.
— Due to the geography and scale of cooperation, Russia occupies a higher position in terms of trade, implements more joint economic projects and invests more actively in the region than the EU. Therefore, it is premature to say that the EU's cooperation strategies with Central Asia can change its relations with Moscow," the analyst concluded.
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