ASTANA: EU chief Charles Michel on Thursday called for closer ties with Central Asia on his first official visit to Kazakhstan, the main economic powerhouse in a region where Russia’s influence has come under question.

“Central Asia and Europe are coming closer together and becoming more and more connected,” Michel said at a press conference with Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev in the capital Astana.

He called Kazakhstan a “crucial partner” and hoped to “develop our cooperation”.

Michel’s visit comes eight months into Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which has made Moscow’s ex-Soviet neighbours nervous and intensified the Kremlin’s clash with the West.

“My visit takes place at a difficult time for Europe and the wider region,” Michel said, condemning Moscow’s “war of aggression”.

He is due to meet the leaders of all five Central Asian countries – Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan – at 1000 GMT.

It is the first EU-Central Asia summit and Michel called it “much more than just a policy dialogue between two regions”.

“It’s a powerful symbol of our reinforced cooperation,” he said.

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He singled out Kazakhstan as a major trading partner for the EU and called for developing transport infrastructure in the country, which has looked to reduce its dependence on Moscow since it sent troops to Ukraine.

Michel’s visit comes two weeks after Astana hosted several summits with Russia’s participation, as well as China and Turkey – also seeking to strengthen their influence in the region.

Central Asian countries, traditional allies of Moscow, have tread a fine line on the Kremlin’s attack on Ukraine, neither condemning nor openly supporting it.

Tokayev even clashed with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin publicly in June, refusing to recognise Ukraine’s separatist republics that Moscow has since claimed to have annexed.

Rich in hydrocarbons and minerals, Kazakhstan lies at the heart of China’s massive new silk road project.

Like Beijing, Turkey is also advancing its interest in the region, highlighting its ethno-linguistic and religious ties to Central Asia.