Havli - A Central Asia Substack

Havli - A Central Asia Substack

Share this post

Havli - A Central Asia Substack
Havli - A Central Asia Substack
EU's Samarkand charm offensive lacks wow factor
Copy link
Facebook
Email
Notes
More

EU's Samarkand charm offensive lacks wow factor

Central Asia wants firm deals on critical minerals, and soon. The Europeans believe they have a tempting proposition.

Peter Leonard's avatar
Peter Leonard
Apr 05, 2025
∙ Paid
7

Share this post

Havli - A Central Asia Substack
Havli - A Central Asia Substack
EU's Samarkand charm offensive lacks wow factor
Copy link
Facebook
Email
Notes
More
3
3
Share
The EU delegation visiting Registan Square, accompanied by Uzbek officials.

Ursula von der Leyen opened her speech in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, with a pearl of wisdom fit for stencilling on the wall of an Airbnb flat.

“It was the great explorer of the past, Ibn Batuta, who said: ‘travel leaves you speechless.’ And that was after visiting Samarkand,” the Euro…

Keep reading with a 7-day free trial

Subscribe to Havli - A Central Asia Substack to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.

Already a paid subscriber? Sign in
© 2025 Peter Leonard
Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start writingGet the app
Substack is the home for great culture

Share

Copy link
Facebook
Email
Notes
More