Latvia’s EU Presidency to Pay Close Attention to Central Asia: Official

Spokesperson for Latvia's EU presidency said that the European Union will pay close attention to the region of Central Asia as it reviews its EU-Central Asia strategy during the forthcoming Latvian presidency of the European Council.

MOSCOW, December 30 (Sputnik), Svetlana Alexandrova – The European Union will pay close attention to the region of Central Asia as it reviews its EU-Central Asia strategy during the forthcoming Latvian presidency of the European Council, the spokesperson for Latvia's EU presidency told Sputnik news agency on Tuesday.

“Special attention to the [Central Asian] region will be given through the review of the EU-Central Asia strategy,” the spokesperson for Latvia's Permanent Representation to the EU, Janis Berzins, said.

Latvia is to take over the presidency from Italy on January 1, 2015. Earlier this month, the Latvian ambassador to the European Union, Ilze Juhansone, said that the countries of Central Asia, which, in her words, has been a “forgotten region," will receive attention during the Latvian Presidency of the EU Council.

Today, Central Asia includes five independent republics: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan.

These countries will be given special attention from European Union through “continued intensive bilateral contacts between the [EU] and Central Asia, especially in the areas of security, border management, energy and education,” Janis Berzins stated.

Every six months an EU member state assumes the role of the rotating EU council presidency. The presidency's function is to chair meetings of the Council, determine the Council's agenda, and promote dialogue within the Council and with other EU institutions.