On 30 November Ambassador Peter Burian, EU Special Representative for Central Asia, visited the OSCE Academy and delivered a speech on the new EU strategy for Central Asia to the Academy students. Ambassador Burian was accompanied by Ambassador Auer, Head of the EU Delegation to Kyrgyzstan, Ambassador Dr. Pierre von Arx, Head of the OSCE Programme Office in Bishkek, Raimonds Vingris, Head of the Political, Press and Information Section.
Ambassador Burian spoke about the main objectives and priority areas of the new EU-CA strategy which is expected to be adopted in 2019. Those include education, the promotion of rule of law, climate change, region to region connectivity, improvement of the investment climate, energy security, cooperation with Central Asia on Afghanistan, etc. Following the speech students raised a number of questions such as: Would Central Asia eventually become an energy partner from which the EU will start buying oil or gas? Will the EU try to connect to Central Asia via a direct pipeline? What are the possible spheres of cooperation between the EU and Russia in the Central Asian region. Many more questions were asked to which Ambassador Burian provided detailed answers before hastening to his next meeting!