TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, November 27. During the 3rd EU–Central Asia Economic Forum, European Commissioner for International Partnerships Jozef Síkela announced the signing of several new bilateral and regional initiatives aimed at strengthening cooperation, all aimed at bolstering cooperation in the realm of critical raw materials, Trend reports via the Delegation of the European Union to Uzbekistan.
Among the newly signed projects is DATA4CRM, a 7.5 million euro Team Europe initiative funded by the EU (5 million euro) and the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland (2.5 million euro). The program is set to shake things up in the geodata world, open the floodgates to geological information, and pave the way for investment by making sure that reliable, top-notch geological data is at everyone's fingertips across Central Asia.
Another signed initiative is SECURE CRM, worth 3 million euro and implemented in partnership with UNODC/UNECE. This project aims to strengthen responsible and transparent critical raw materials value chains. It seeks to bring regional governance in line with UNFC international standards, ensuring supply-chain accountability is above board, and fostering sustainable cross-border cooperation to keep pace with the ever-growing global demand.
The EU–Central Asia Economic Forum, following previous editions in Bishkek (2021) and Almaty (2023), is organized jointly with the OECD and the International Trade Centre (ITC). The platform brings together senior officials from the EU and Central Asia, representatives of the private sector, and international financial institutions to discuss investment cooperation, regional connectivity, and strategic development initiatives.
This year’s forum brought together delegations from 32 countries, with EU Commissioners Jozef Síkela and Marta Kos at the helm of the European contingent.
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