Human rights concerns loom over Germany-Central Asia summit

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz told the leaders of the five Central Asian states on September 17 that developing cooperation with their countries is “a strategic objective” for Germany.

“Never before has the exchange between our societies been so close – and it is constantly increasing: politically, economically and culturally,” Scholz said, adding that Berlin wants “to continue and further intensify this “.

Speaking in Astana at the second summit of Central Asian states and Germany, Scholz said that “especially in times of global uncertainty, we need close and reliable international partners”.

Scholz last met Central Asian leaders at their first summit with Germany in Berlin in September 2023, amid efforts to counter Russian influence in the region.

The host of the second summit, Kazakh President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev, expressed gratitude to the German entities that established cooperation between “one of the leading nations of the world in terms of economic and technological innovations” and the countries of Central Asia.

Central Asia is a “dynamically developing region with enormous development potential and broad opportunities for mutually beneficial partnership,” Toqaev said at the summit.

“By uniting the East with the West, the North and the South, Central Asia can become a center of attraction of technologies, location of production and production with high added value,” he said, adding that the region is “open to cooperation in various spheres”.

Presidents Sadyr Japarov of Kyrgyzstan, Emomali Rahmon of Tajikistan, Serdar Berdymukhammedov of Turkmenistan and Shavkat Mirziyoev of Uzbekistan have also stressed the importance of cooperation with Germany, but not all agree with Scholz on recognizing the Taliban-led government in Afghanistan, of which he said. came to power “illegally”.

Scholz also called the ongoing developments in Afghanistan “depressing” and stressed that the situation facing Afghan women under Taliban rule was “intolerable”.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) last week issue a statement asking Scholz to focus on human rights in the five closely held Central Asian nations during this year’s summit.

“Serious human rights concerns in the region include the suppression of rights to protest and express opinions, including online, the imprisonment of activists, torture in detention, repression of civil society, violence against women, impunity for abusive security forces and lack of freedom. and fair elections,” the HRW statement said.

“The German government cannot claim that closer ties with Central Asia are possible without a significant improvement in human rights in the region. The upcoming summit offers a chance to make this clear,” he added.

Via RFE/RL

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