EU chief courts Moscow's Central Asia allies

EU chief Charles Michel 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.

In a first European Union-Central Asia summit, Michel met the leaders of the region's five countries -- Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan.

He described the gathering as "much more than just a policy dialogue between two regions".

"It's a powerful symbol of our reinforced cooperation and a strong signal of the EU's commitment to this region," he said.

Michel's visit to the Kazakh capital Astana comes eight months into Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which has made Moscow's former Soviet neighbours nervous and intensified the Kremlin's clash with the West.

In a joint statement, Michel and the Central Asian leaders said they agreed to "continue building a strong diversified and forward-looking partnership underpinned by shared values and mutual interests".

Michel's visit comes two weeks after Astana hosted several summits attended by Russia -- as well as by China and Turkey, which are also seeking to strengthen their influence in the region.

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