Xu Gang

(№.2,2016)

Abstract:For a long time after the end of Cold War, EU as an important international force did not unveil definite strategy on Central Asia or take an active part in the Central Asia affairs. Such condition did not change until the first document of systematic strategy on Central Asia was released. Divided in stages, EU’s policy towards Central Asia is generally divided into the cognition exploration stage during 1991-2006, concentrated consolidation stage during 2007-2013 and adjustment and improvement stage after 2014. Seen from the core characteristics, the main implementation means of EU’s policy towards Central Asia is aid diplomacy, the major objective is value output and interest sharing, but the aid tools are different in different periods and for different countries. After over 20 years of development, EU has formed certain influence in the Central Asia area, the aid policy achieved certain effects, and the cooperation mechanism is established in many fields in succession, but the overall influence is limited and it still belongs to the minor behavior of relevant parties. For a long period in the future, the space of adjustment in EU’s policy towards Central Asia is not large, but it will develop the relationship with central Asian countries in the existing aid frame.

Key words: EU’s policy towards Central Asia; aid diplomacy; development of tools for cooperation; Russia