The European Investment Bank views 2025 as an important milestone in the European Union’s engagement with Central Asia and plans to step up its activities in the region in 2026, Edvardas Bumsteinas, head of the EIB’s division for the region, told Trend.
He said the EIB expanded financing in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan in 2025, directing funds to projects focused on sustainable development, infrastructure, digital connectivity and climate resilience under the EU Global Gateway strategy.
Bumsteinas noted the bank has made progress in negotiations on a framework agreement with Turkmenistan, which could open the way for the EIB to begin operations in the country. He added that the EIB plans to open its first regional office in Tashkent in 2026.
The EIB said Central Asia is gaining strategic importance for the European Union, particularly in terms of connectivity, energy security and climate priorities.
Founded in 1958 and headquartered in Luxembourg, the European Investment Bank is the European Union’s financing institution. It provides long-term funding for projects that support sustainable economic development, integration and infrastructure modernization both within the EU and beyond.
