Germany is crucial for the sovereignty of Central Asia - Olaf Scholz

During his official visit to Central Asia from September 15-17, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz emphasized the importance of Germany for the sovereignty of Central Asian countries. He made these remarks at a press meeting in Kazakhstan.

According to Scholz, strengthening Central Asia's relations with Germany would enhance their efforts to maintain independence and sovereignty.

"Regarding cooperation with Central Asia, we intend to continue our support, both politically and economically. This is good news for them. If they strengthen ties with Germany, it will be easier for them to work on their independence and sovereignty," he stated.

Scholz also mentioned that even though Central Asian countries may have other strong partners, Germany will remain a significant partner for them.

For context, Olaf Scholz organized his own media communication, as Kazakhstan canceled the scheduled joint press conference prior to the event. Uzbekistan did not agree to hold a press conference from the start.

It is worth noting that Scholz arrived in Uzbekistan on September 15, where he met with President Shavkat Mirziyoyev in Samarkand. On September 16, Scholz and Mirziyoyev met with business leaders from both countries and participated in the inauguration of the joint management personnel training school. Later that day, Scholz traveled to Kazakhstan, where he held discussions with President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev in both narrow and expanded formats. On September 17, the second "Central Asia - Germany" summit was held in Astana. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov, Tajikistan President Emomali Rahmon, and Turkmenistan President Serdar Berdymukhamedov participated in the event chaired by Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.