European Parliament's Central Asia Criticism Lacks Context, Expert Says

According to Central Asia expert Stephen Bland, writing for The Times of Central Asia, the European Parliament showed increased interest in Central Asia, including Kazakhstan, in 2024.

However, Bland argues that European deputies' criticism fails to consider the region's cultural nuances and social context, reports Orda.kz.

Such a one-sided approach, they suggest, overlooks essential cultural, historical, socio-political, and geopolitical factors. The result is a significant gap between the EU’s expectations on the one hand, and, on the other, what is reasonable to expect given the realities on the ground. The drafters of these documents often focus excessively on identifying deficiencies in democratic processes,states Stephen Bland.

Bland notes that while EU collaboration offers advantages like technology, investment, and market access, recent EU resolutions appear overly critical. 

He specifically points to Kazakhstan's case:

Another example is a recent resolution on Kazakhstan that criticizes the country for suppressing civil activists. Such criticism might be justified in certain cases, but the resolution neglects to mention that some of these activists are reported to have ties to a criminal organization responsible for embezzling over $8 billion from a Kazakhstani bank. Kazakhstan has repeatedly raised the point that political activism should not shield individuals from scrutiny over criminal allegations, but the EP has mainly ignored this. To say that this failure highlights a lack of nuanced understanding is an understatement.

Bland suggests that for effective partnership, the European Parliament needs to move beyond superficial arguments and consider regional complexities.

Stephen M. Bland is a journalist and writer specializing in Central Asia who has worked with BBC and HBO.

Original Author: Nikita Drobny