Central Asian countries urge Germany to help strengthen their ties with Europe
Central Asian countries on Tuesday urged Germany to invest in their sectors, especially energy and transport, and to help build ties with Europe to bypass Russia.
The five landlocked countries, located in a region rich in natural resources, are seeking to establish links with Europe via the Caspian Sea, thus bypassing Russia and Iran, which are subject to Western sanctions.
“It’s urgent to strengthen the integration of transport and logistics systems between Central Asia and Europe,” said Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, president of Kazakhstan, the region’s largest economic power, during a three-day visit by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
In a follow-up to the 5+1 summit that brought him together with the heads of the five countries a year ago, Scholz made a visit to the region, the first by a German chancellor in more than 20 years.
In recent months, the five countries have made efforts to establish a transport corridor across the Caspian Sea between Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Turkmenistan.
“We’re counting on help from Germany to connect this route to the trans-European transport network,” Tokayev said.
In addition to gas, oil and rare earths, there is a growing possibility of sending sustainable energy sources such as hydrogen, which has limited environmental impacts, from Central Asia to Europe via the Caspian Sea.
“We invite German partners to participate in this strategic project,” Tokayev said.
Since the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, dozens of leaders have visited the region where Russian influence is now being challenged.
“Our region has everything it needs to develop: natural resources, rare earths, and huge potential for clean energy,” Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov said, but “climate change poses a serious threat to Central Asia,” calling on Germany to cooperate in the environmental field.
The summit also discussed the situation in neighboring Afghanistan amid softer diplomatic stances by Central Asian republics toward the Taliban and strengthening economic ties with Kabul.
Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev said the countries of the region have a desire to interact with Germany and other European partners to implement joint projects that will engage Berlin in regional economic cooperation.
