First Joint Informal Meeting of Heads of diplomatic missions of Central Asia, Mongolia, and the Caribbean Basin

On May 15, 2024, in Brussels, at the initiative of the Ambassadors of Central Asian countries and Mongolia accredited in Belgium, the first joint informal meeting of the heads of diplomatic missions from Central Asia, Mongolia, and the Caribbean Basin took place. The meeting aimed to exchange experiences in expanding trade, economic, and sectoral partnerships, as well as to establish interregional and intraregional connections.

According to the Central Asian Ambassadors in Belgium, despite the geographical distance, there is a shared stance between the countries of Central Asia and the Caribbean Basin on strengthening global dialogue and international security, which is essential for deepening economic relations.

During the meeting, Central Asian diplomats highlighted investment incentives and tools that facilitate foreign investors in developing their activities in the region. Special attention was given to enhancing the transport and logistics potential of the Central Asian region, emphasizing the growing role and interest of the EU in developing the Middle Corridor. Priorities for cooperation between Central Asia and Mongolia with EU institutions were also discussed.

Participants noted that the combined GDP of Central Asian countries and Mongolia is currently 430 billion euros, and the youth population in these countries could reach 100 million by 2050. In 2023, the volume of intraregional trade in Central Asia amounted to 11 billion euros.

Jamaican Ambassador Symone Betton, speaking on behalf of the Caribbean Basin countries, shared the key achievements and future plans for relations with the EU. She emphasized three main areas of collaboration: cooperation within the Organization of African, Caribbean, and Pacific States (OACPS), the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), and economic partnerships.

Symone Betton also mentioned the second EU-CELAC Summit held in Brussels in 2023. The Jamaican diplomat expressed her intention to share experiences with Central Asian partners in promoting climate, innovation, humanitarian, and trade dialogues.

Participants discussed visa regimes, increasing flight frequencies and expanding flight routes, tourism, education, digitalization (including e-government projects), cultural and humanitarian exchanges, dialogue with the EU on strengthening democratic institutions, business networking, and other topics.

Turkmenistan's Ambassador Sapar Palvanov noted that Turkmenistan remains committed to bilateral and interregional cooperation despite long distances. He emphasized that Brussels serves as a convenient platform for such meetings and confirmed Turkmenistan's readiness to continue supporting and developing this format.

At the conclusion of the meeting, the parties agreed to maintain a focused dialogue aimed at strengthening comprehensive interaction between Central Asia, Mongolia, the Caribbean Basin, and the EU.

The Caribbean Basin countries include Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Cuba, Dominica, the Dominican Republic, Guyana, Grenada, Haiti, Jamaica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, French Guiana, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago, representing a dynamic market of 40 million consumers. The European Union is one of the largest trading partners of the Caribbean region, with total trade in goods between the EU and Caribbean countries amounting to 8 billion euros in 2023.