This policy paper provides recommendations for the implementation of the 2019 EU Strategy on Central Asia with regard to the first and second parts of the Strategy – “Partnering for resilience” and “Partnering for prosperity”. It follows the first part of recommendations (paper No 14) which gave a general assessment of the new Strategy and the recommendations on the tasks provided in the third part of the Strategy “Working better together”.

This paper provides a set of recommendations to the EU on the implementation of the tasks from the new Strategy ranked the highest in the SEnECA scorecard (discussed in detail in Paper No. 14). Among those are the tasks aimed at “Partnering for resilience” – border management, strengthening cooperative mechanisms on the environment, water management and climate change, as well as support in legal and judicial issues, human rights, labour standards, governance, electoral process, reform and women's rights. Tasks related to scientific aspects of climate and water issues, as well as high-level political and security dialogue also scored high among the experts. These recommendations are expected to bring the EU’s experience in the respective fields to Central Asia while also expanding the EU’s normative power in the region.

Among the tasks aimed at “Partnering for prosperity”, those related to the promotion of business and investment environment and support to the private sector in Central Asia scored the highest in the SEnECA scorecard, followed by the tasks devoted to development of transport corridors, supporting mobility of students and tutors, participation in science programs, as well as standardisation and quality issues for trade facilitation.

SEnECA experts came forth with multiple recommendations for the implementation of the aforementioned tasks. In general, these recommendations suggest that the EU should focus on the direct counterparts (paying less attention to intermediaries) in Central Asia, pay particular attention to the different needs and situations in each of the Central Asian countries, make the communication with the relevant subjects more efficient, use assistance of other external like-minded actors and take particular note and lessons from similar actions of not like-minded actors.