Berlin/Samarkand
Oil and gas transportation, migration control and sanctions against Russia: these are just some of the topics covered by Chancellor Olaf Scholz on his first visit to the former Soviet republic of Central Asia. The SPD politician left for Uzbekistan early in the morning on a government plane to sign several agreements, including one on migration with the country bordering Afghanistan.
On Monday, he will travel for two days to Kazakhstan, the largest and most economically powerful country in Central Asia. All five countries in the region between Russia and China, including Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan, will hold summits here. Scholz wants to expand relations with these countries, and a year ago in Berlin, he agreed to a strategic partnership focusing on economy, energy, climate and environment. Now, it must be filled with life.
As big as the EU but with a population of only 80 million
The five Central Asian countries have a combined population of about 80 million, slightly less than Germany. However, their area is 11 times larger than Germany and roughly equal to the area of the entire European Union, including its 27 member states. For a long time, from Germany’s perspective, the region has been in the shadow of the two major powers, China and Russia, on which German economic interests are focused.
The Russian aggression against Ukraine has changed the situation. Russia is no longer Germany’s most important energy supplier for a long time. And economic dependence on China, especially after bad experiences with Russia, must now be reduced. Therefore, the Federal Government wants to deepen existing partnerships with economically weaker countries in Africa, Latin America and Asia and to look for new partners.
Raw material wealth and human rights abuses
The raw material reserves of the Central Asian countries are of particular interest to Germany. Kazakhstan, the most powerful economy in the region, already supplies oil to the Shvet refinery in Brandenburg, compensating for the decrease in Russian supplies. The federal government is also interested in the gas reserves of the region. Kazakhstan also has uranium, iron ore, zinc, copper and gold, and is considered a potential partner for hydrogen production from renewable energy.
But authoritarian states in the region are internationally criticized for human rights abuses. For example, gas-rich Turkmenistan is considered an isolated dictatorship similar to North Korea. Ahead of the trip, Human Rights Watch urged Scholz to address its grievances publicly. “The federal government cannot claim close ties to Central Asia without significant improvements in human rights conditions there,” said Hugh Williamson, the region’s director.
Scholz wants to “properly address” sanctions evasion
For Central Asian countries, strengthening relations with the West is a balancing act. On the one hand, they are economically closely linked to Russia. On the other hand, they emphasize their support for the Western sanctions regime against Russia. It is questionable how serious Kazakhstan, for example, is about this.
Since the start of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, exports from there to Russia have increased significantly. This has raised suspicions that Western companies are deliberately trying to evade economic sanctions against Russia through these countries. Kazakhstan has the world’s longest border with Russia, at 7,000 km. People close to the chancellor said that Scholz was prepared to “appropriately deal” with sanctions evasion during his trip.
First visit to the Samarkand Mosque
The first stop is also a cultural highlight. The Prime Minister will arrive in the afternoon at Samarkand, the Uzbek oasis city on the Silk Road, also known as the “Pearl of the East”, over 2,500 years old. His first program items include a walk through Registan, one of the most beautiful squares in Asia, and a visit to the 17th-century Tilla Kori Mosque.
Scholz wants to sign several agreements with Uzbek President Shawkat Mirziyoyev, including a migration agreement to facilitate the immigration of Uzbek skilled workers to Germany and the return of Uzbeks who have to leave their home country. Uzbekistan is also seen as one of the countries that could help deport criminals to Afghanistan. But “it is still unclear whether this will actually happen and when,” the government official said.
President Putin also recently visited Uzbekistan.
The country of 36 million people has been increasingly open to the West for years. Under President Mirziyoyev, it has implemented a number of liberal reforms and privatized parts of the economy to attract investors. This year alone, it is expected to grow by more than 5 percent, thanks to close trade ties with China and Russia. Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Uzbekistan in May and announced investments that Scholz would have a hard time keeping up with. He pledged support for expanding gas pipelines and building several hydroelectric and nuclear power plants.
notification: This report is part of an automated service of the German Press Agency (dpa), which operates under strict journalistic regulations. The AZ Online editorial team does not edit or check it. Please send questions or comments to Feedback@az-muenchen.de.
