Vera Axyonova
Vera Axyonova is a postdoctoral researcher / assistant professor at the Justus Liebig University Giessen and an adjunct lecturer at Fulda University of Applied Sciences. She completed her PhD in Political Science at the Bremen International Graduate School of Social Sciences and holds an MA in Intercultural Communication and European Studies and a Diploma in International Relations. Her primary research interests are external democratisation and human rights promotion, security in the post-soviet space, and Central Asian affairs.
Evaluation of the EU’s human rights policies and engagement in Central Asia
This report, that was commissioned by the European Parliament, argues that European support for human rights in Central Asia mostly seeks to tackle technical matters in the judicial sector...
Trading values with Kazakhstan
The European Union (EU) and Kazakhstan have become important partners over the past decade. The EU is Kazakhstan’s leading trade partner, accounting for 40 per cent of its exports....
Security Sector Reform in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan: what role for Europe?
The security sectors of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan are to different extents corrupt, lack democratic control and can even be a threat to the population. They differ in terms...
The EU Education Initiative for Central Asia five years on: lessons learnt?
Over the past 20 years, developments in Central Asia’s education system have been mixed. The private education sector has been growing, especially in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, with fully-equipped classrooms...
The Afghanistan-Central Asia relationship: What role for the EU?
As the 2014 NATO drawdown from Afghanistan approaches, the EU increasingly focuses on preventing potential spillover effects on Central Asia. The Union wishes to further its cooperation with the...
EU Human Rights and Democratisation Assistance to Central Asia: In Need of Further Reform
Introduction
One of the declared priorities of the European Union (EU) in Central Asia is the strengthening of good governance, rule of law, human rights and democratisation. Given the EU’s...
Ten tasks for the new EU Special Representative to Central Asia
The EU has a new Special Representative (EUSR) for Central Asia. It was announced on 18 June that Patricia Flor from Germany would on 1 July replace Ambassador Pierre...
Supporting Civil Society in Central Asia: What Approach for the EU?
In recent years, EU assistance to civil society in third countries, including in Central Asia, has increasingly relied on a regional approach. This is particularly true for the European...
The EU-Central Asia Human Rights Dialogues: Making a Difference?
Introduction
Structured human rights dialogues (HRDs) were introduced as part of the broader EU democratisation policy towards Central Asian states after the adoption of the ‘EU and Central Asia: Strategy...