In this Policy Paper, the current issues of cultural ties between the five countries of Central Asia (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan) and the European Union (EU) are gradually analysed. It covers such spheres as cooperation in the field of culture, a description of the manifestation of identity, and orientation values of the people of Central Asia. The mapping also considers the problems of the establishment and functioning of civil society institutions in the states of Central Asia through the disclosure of the specific activities of strong NGOs in the region, their cooperation with international governmental and non-governmental organizations (especially with European organizations), including the financial sphere. It also provides an analysis of tourism sta-tistics in the countries of the region, and addresses the people-to-people aspect of the relations.