Berlin courts Central Asian countries

Gas, economy and security at the centre of a summit held in Berlin with the presidents of the five countries of the region. The priority remains the real opening of the goods route between the Caspian Sea and the Black Sea, with the subsequent exploitation of the river route on the Danube.

Berlin (AsiaNews) - The summit of the presidents of Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, and the countries of Central Asia, Kasym-Žomart Tokaev of Kazakhstan, Šavkat Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan, Sadyr Žaparov of Kyrgyzstan, Emomali Rakhmon, concluded in Berlin of Tajikistan and the ex-president of Turkmenistan, Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov, current president of the Senate, who decided to replace his son, junior president Serdar.

The Asian leaders also met with Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and held a series of bilateral meetings.

While his father filmed the scene together with the heads of state, Serdar Berdymukhamedov concluded the celebrations for the anniversary of the Independence of Turkmenistan, marked on 27 September, but which in fact lasted a month of preparations, side events and competitions all types.

The president had to send his father to Berlin so as not to miss the horse race at the Ashgabat hippodrome, also canceling the weekly meeting with members of the government, and then celebrate Seniors' Day with all the people.

In the meantime, at the Berlin summit there was talk about gas exports, the economy and security. As the spokeswoman of the German president, Cerstin Gammelin, noted on her X (Twitter) page, the parties had a wide-ranging discussion on the development of cooperation, the geopolitical situation, in particular in light of Russia's conflict in Ukraine, and also relations with China and Afghanistan.

The senior Turkmen leader insisted that mechanisms for guaranteeing security at a global level remain a prerogative of the UN, without directly mentioning the war in Ukraine, but alluding to the need for a reform of the Security Council.

Together with the other presidents, he underlined "the current phase of transformation of the global energy market, and of global commercial transport routes, into new configurations of partnership on the Europe-Asia directive".

The strategic plans already proclaimed several times in various meetings on European strategies in Central Asia were recalled, and also with the plan on "Global Doors" by 2027, proposed by the "Team of Europe".

The plans for gas deliveries have remained rather undefined, as the enormous Turkmen reserves are not accessible due to a lack of infrastructure and transport routes, limiting themselves to expressing a generic appeal for the "diversification of trading directives on international markets".

The priority remains the real opening of the "Caspian Sea - Black Sea" itinerary, with the subsequent exploitation of the Danube; the presidents appealed to Germany's industrial, technological and financial capabilities to enhance Central Asia's wealth of resources and human capital.

The Kyrgyz Žaparov said he was "very struck by the interest of the international community in our region", while the Tajik Rakhmon insisted on the need for investments in the industrial sphere, in water energy, but also in cultural and tourist relations, without forgetting the common attention to be paid to the threats coming from Afghanistan.

The Kazakh Tokaev spoke explicitly about the situation in Ukraine, underlining that we must insist on bringing the parties in conflict to the negotiating table, "in search of peaceful solutions acceptable to both".

The Uzbek Mirziyoyev also appealed for the development of collaboration, a priority in the field of the most advanced technologies and transport, placing particular emphasis on the "green" economy and cultural exchanges.

Everyone expressed gratitude to the efforts already underway by Germany, which despite having no borders with Asia, appears to be one of the Western states closest to its "heart" of the central region.