The European Union on Monday said it wishes to intensify cooperation with Central Asian countries on an individual and regional basis.

The EU Foreign Ministers’ Council discussed in its meeting in Luxembourg on Monday, 23 April, the draft EU Central Asia Strategy and said Brussels seeks to boost cooperation in the fields of energy, combating drug trafficking, security, transport, education, trade and economy, rule of law, human rights, and democratization.

The Council welcomed what is said was the successful holding of the first EU Foreign Ministers’ Troika Meeting with the five Central Asian countries: Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan in Astana on 28 March 2007.

The Council agreed that the meeting was an important further step towards the strengthening of political dialogue with the Central Asian countries, education; energy and transport; environment; trade and economic development.

The EU is expected to adopt its Central Asia Strategy in June.