In an article for the European Institute for Asian Studies (EIAS), Roxana Chiriac, EIAS Visiting Fellow, discusses what to expect from Tehri Hakala, the newly appointed EU Special Representative for Central Asia, and the EU’s priorities in its relations with the region:
On 21 June 2021, the Council of the European Union appointed Terhi Hakala as the new EU Special Representative for Central Asia, a position she will hold from July 2021 to February 2023, with the possibility of extension through an EU Council decision. H.E Ambassador Hakala is a Finnish career diplomat who has previously acted as the Permanent Representative of Finland to the UN, WTO and other international organisations in Geneva. She has gained extensive working experience in diplomatic positions in the Central Asian region, as well as in Eastern Europe and Russia. Between September 2012 and August 2016, she was the Director-General of the Department for Russia, Eastern Europe and Central Asia within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland, where she held responsibilities related to the development and coordination of the Finnish policies and activities concerning Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan. As part of this assignment, Terhi Hakala contributed to the enhancement of the cooperation with Central Asian republics, in addition to supervising the Finnish development aid program for the region. Furthermore, in the early 2000s she held the position of Director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland, in the framework of which she travelled extensively to the region. In her most recently held position, Ms. Hakala acted as Ambassador for the Countering of Hybrid Threats in Helsinki, through which her most notable achievements included the development of the EU’s hybrid policy and actions, from a Finnish perspective. The Special Representative’s extensive experience in Eastern Europe and Central Asia is expected to contribute considerably to the enhancing of the EU’s role in the region.
In a press release on 21 June 2021, the Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs highlighted that, in the framework of the European Union’s Strategy for Central Asia, further emphasis will be placed on fostering sustainable connectivity, in addition to stimulating investments and contributing to the development of the business environment. Moreover, H.E. Ambassador Hakala added that the EU will continue to project itself as a balancing partner and will contribute to the region’s recovery from the pandemic. On the occasion of the appointment, Ambassador Hakala stated that “In Central Asia, the EU is a welcoming and balancing partner to help tackle the challenges of the region. The EU has many tools that can be used to promote recovery from the global pandemic. The mandate of the EUSR for Central Asia emphasises the need to strengthen regional cooperation and stability in collaboration with the countries of the region and other international actors. In the coming years, this will be even more important than before”.
End of August 2021 the EUSR paid an official visit to Uzbekistan, the first travelling to the region in her newly assigned role. In the context of the developing situation in Afghanistan, H.E. Terhi Hakala visited Termez, in order to become acquainted with the situation at the border. Furthermore, she visited the Center for training Afghan citizens and the International Logistics Center of Termez. During her official visit, the Ambassador met with Government Officials of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the First Deputy Speaker of the Legislative Chamber, as well as NGO representatives.