The European Union (EU) is one of the key economic and political partners of the countries of Central Asia (CA). The EU adopted two strategies toward CA and acts through partnership and cooperation agreements. The recent geopolitical crisis in Eurasia improved bilateral relations between the regions. The EU reconsidered its CA strategy. The paper aims to analyze the current accelerated rapprochement between the EU and CA. Its main findings are as follows. First, bilateral trade between the regions became less diversified, increasing risks for Central Asia as trade became an important political tool. Second, the EU-CA strategic rapprochement will require institutional reforms in Central Asia, while for now, the EU pursues its geopolitical and economic goals in the region.
were awarded the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences "for their experimental approach to alleviating global poverty." This approach is mainly based on randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Therefore, a goal of the paper is to analyze and review major findings of the Nobel Prize winners and to show directions for their application in Central Asia. The methodology of the paper is based on the analysis of RCTs conducted by the Nobel Prize winners and in Central Asia. The paper finds that there are a lot of factors restricting poverty alleviation in developing countries, including underdevelopment of educational and healthcare systems. These problems can be addressed using experimental studies in different fields. The paper also reviews the main findings of the Central Asia-based RCTs. Their results were positive in terms of identifying problems and providing solutions that can be useful for further policymaking and can positively affect institutional, educational, healthcare and social issues. The paper shows that the potential priority sectors for the regional RCTs are educational and agricultural policies, where they can be conducted in order to test the efficiency of the existing programs and develop recommendations for future policy improvements. However, the RCTs alone are not enough for poverty alleviation and the paper emphasizes on the essential role of economic growth. The paper can be useful for policymakers, who form anti-poverty policy and development programs.
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