EU, Central Asia ministers discuss energy

Foreign ministers from Europe and Central Asia pledged Thursday to work together on new gas pipelines and efforts to fight terrorism, officials said.

The EU Observer reported that the meeting in Paris was between the European Union and five Asian counties: Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan.

"We reaffirm the importance of active co-operation in the development of different hydrocarbon transport corridors that aim to ensure a guaranteed and reliable supply for European markets," the ministers' joint statement said.

The newspaper reported that the EU has pledged to help combat terrorist financing and offer expertise on how to stop illegal traffic of people, arms and drugs.