Senior EU officials will be visiting Turkmenistan this week in order to promote collaboration with Central Asia, a region abundant in energy resources that is crucial to Europe's goal of diversifying energy sources and reducing reliance on Russia. EU External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner, along with the French and Slovenian foreign ministers, will be meeting with their counterparts from Central Asia in Ashgabat on April 9-10 to discuss a range of issues, including energy and democracy. Despite being rich in oil and gas reserves, the region is known for its authoritarian governments and has faced criticism from the West regarding their human rights and democracy records. The European Union views Central Asia as a new energy source to help decrease dependence on Russia, which currently provides a quarter of the EU's energy needs. The EU stated that progress is being made in implementing its strategy, and that they are collaborating with partners in the region to outline future actions in joint priorities papers. The talks are expected to be held in private. Some activists and politicians have accused the West of prioritizing energy over democracy in their dealings with Central Asia, a claim that Western governments have refuted. Human Rights Watch in the U.S. has called on the EU to prioritize the promotion of human rights in Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan in its regional policy. The organization emphasized that Central Asia is home to some of the most oppressive states from the former Soviet Union, and the EU should take advantage of the opportunity to bring about positive changes. Providing specific benchmarks will give the strategy a clear direction. Kazakhstan, as the region's largest economy with a stable investment climate, is the primary focus of Western attention. Despite attracting billions of dollars in investment, Turkmenistan has never had an election deemed free and fair by Western monitors. The country, which is slowly opening up after years of isolation, has indicated a desire for closer ties with the West and more reform. However, analysts are skeptical about the new president's commitment to real change. In contrast, Uzbekistan, previously criticized by the United States for human rights violations, received positive feedback from the West this year for releasing jailed activists and showing a greater willingness to address human rights concerns. Human Rights Watch acknowledged that some positive developments in the region are worthy of recognition and appreciation. However, they should not overshadow the widespread poor human rights conditions in each Central Asian country and throughout the region.