Germany and Central Asia explore energy and technology cooperation

Central Asian leaders sent German Chancellor Olaf Scholz a clear and consistent message during his three-day visit to the region: “to get, you have to give.”

The five Central Asian heads of state met in the Kazakh capital Astana on September 17 for a meeting with Scholz, with discussions focused on expanding trade between West and Central Asia. Germany is particularly interested in boosting natural gas imports from the region as part of an ongoing effort by the European Union to move away from Russian energy. No specific agreements were announced at the end of the meeting, but all sides were optimistic about the future, arguing that agreements could be reached in the not-too-distant future.

“The exchanges between our societies have never been so close and are constantly growing,” the DPA news agency said. quote Scholz said.

The host of the meeting, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, responded to the goodwill, saying that “the in-depth exchange of views that took place reinforced the leaders’ mutual interest in further deepening cooperation.” He also stressed that energy issues will play a “key role” in the direction of relations.

Tokaev’s remarks during the meeting he provided a rough roadmap for future trade relations. He indicated that Kazakhstan and other regional states would be more than happy to help Germany, along with other EU states, meet their energy needs. But Central Asia is looking for more than money in exchange for energy exports.

Describing Germany as a world leader in “the field of economic and technological innovation”, Tokayev said that Kazakhstan and other Central Asian states want to take advantage of German know-how in order to promote “localization of production and production of products with a level high added value.” Among the economic sectors he mentioned that could benefit from German technology transfers are finance, agriculture, transit logistics and information technology.

Tokayev also stated that Kazakhstan sought German expertise, along with investment, to develop Central Asia’s green energy agenda, specifically noting an initiative undertaken by Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan to develop solar and wind farms to generate electricity for export to the EU. “We invite our German partners to consider participating in this strategic project,” Tokayev said escaped a not so subtle hint.

Before visiting Kazakhstan, Scholz stopped in Uzbekistan, where a similar “give and take” dynamic governed his talks in Samarkand with Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev. The main result was a political expedient business that Germany may send potential Afghan migrants to Uzbekistan for eventual repatriation to Afghanistan; in return, Berlin agreed to accept skilled Uzbek workers to fill employment opportunities in Germany.

“Through our agreement…we are enabling people with great talents to enter our country. We have also engaged in non-bureaucratic processes so that those who cannot stay in our country must return,” Scholz. he wrote on X’s channel.

For Scholz, the deal shows his embattled Social Democrat-led government is tackling migration at home. Widespread dissatisfaction with the government’s handling of migration has caused popular support for its coalition to erode and has been widely cited as a major factor in the far-right Alternative for Germany’s (AfD) strong performance in recent state elections.

The deal is also a victory for Mirziyoyev, whose administration is trying to change Uzbekistan’s economic orientation from being primarily a producer of raw materials to a producer of finished goods. As part of the overhaul, the government is trying to reorganize the country’s labor market, particularly labor migration, by creating more opportunities for skilled workers from abroad.

By extension, the German-Uzbek deal may benefit the militant Taliban leadership in Kabul, which since regaining power in 2021 has sought international recognition for its rule. Lately, Tashkent has been trying to engage the Taliban, aiming to stabilize conditions along Uzbekistan’s southern border, as well as gain a say in the completion and operation of the controversial Kosh-Tepa canal project. As part of its commitment, Uzbekistan agreed process relatively small amounts of Afghan crude oil to help meet Afghanistan’s domestic needs. The Uzbek government also recently agreed to an investment deal worth up to $2.5 billion with the Taliban.

If the Taliban accepts the return of Afghan nationals sent from Germany to Uzbekistan, the militant movement would demonstrate that it can act as a responsible international actor, potentially helping its efforts to legitimize its leadership.

Of Eurasianet.org

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