The European Union provided technical assistance primarily to economic and commercial reforms, state–building processes, and encouragement of foreign investments in the period between 1996 and 2001 although it expressed that democratization and liberal market economy were integral parts of its mutual relations. However, the EU radically changed its Central Asia strategy after September 11, 2001 attacks. In its new Central Asia Strategy adopted in 2006 and in its relations, the Union has given priority to the political issues and expressed that human rights, democratization, good governance, eradication of poverty and others are now located at the center of the mutual relations. Yet, there are some serious handicaps, such as authoritarian mentality of the Central Asian states.