Chancellor Scholz in Central Asia for a three-day visit.
On Sunday, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz embarked on a three-day trip to Central Asia. That same day, he met with President Shavkat Mirziyoyev in the historically significant Uzbek city of Samarkand for talks. According to media reports, both sides agreed to strengthen cooperation on critical raw materials, including mining and processing.
Uzbekistan aims to establish itself as an important producer of rare earths, with plans to invest half a billion dollars (we reported). Kazakhstan, the next stop on the Chancellor’s trip, has similar ambitious goals. Scholz will also participate in the so-called C5+1 summit, bringing together Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Turkmenistan.
South Korea has also shown interest in Uzbekistan’s natural resources. In June, the two countries signed a cooperation agreement that, according to Yonhap, covers everything from exploration to further processing of critical resources.
Photo: omersukrugoksu via Canva
