Thinking security, doing development? The security – development nexus in European policies

In Europe, Central Asia is seen through the prism of two competing policy discourses. One discourse argues that Central Asia presents an opportunity for Europe to strengthen its energy security. The other sees the region as a source of instability and security threats. Tajikistan is largely considered within the second discourse.

It appeared on the Western radar in the context of the U.S. intervention in Afghanistan in 2001, when Dushanbe partly broke with the dominant orientation towards Russia. It began to receive political support and economic assistance from Washington and, later, from Brussels.

Since 2002, Tajikistan has begun to pursue an ‘open door’ policy, aiming to cooperate with all states that have an interest in the country, especially those with an economic stake. European interests in and cooperation with Tajikistan are modest compared to those of Russia and China.

But the European Union (EU), along with several of its member states, is growing concerned about the stability of the country, as well as about the security threats it faces that could directly or indirectly affect Europe.