Germany's Scholz arrives in Uzbekistan on start of Central Asia trip

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Sunday arrived in Uzbekistan on his first stop of a three-day trip to Central Asia, with migration, oil and tensions with Russia all on the agenda.

Scholz landed in the historic city of Samarkand on Sunday afternoon, where he is set to sign several agreements with Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, including a deal to facilitate the migration of Uzbek skilled workers to Germany and the repatriation of Uzbeks required to leave the country.

The chancellor's tour of Samarkand - a UNESCO World Heritage List site and a key stop on the Silk Road - began with a walk along the Registan public square ahead of a visit to the 17th-century Tilla Kari Mosque.

He is then due to head to Kazakhstan, the largest country and strongest economy in the region, on Monday and Tuesday.

There, he is to attend a summit with the region's five former Soviet republics - including Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan - which are all heavily influenced by heavyweights Russia and China.

Scholz is aiming to expand relations with the Central Asian countries and entered into a strategic partnership with them last year, covering the economy, energy, climate and the environment.

In Kazakhstan, his talks are set to focus on oil and gas supplies to Germany and also on sanctions targeting Russia, as Astana has been accused of enabling trade restrictions to be circumvented.

Since the outbreak of Russia's all-out war on Ukraine in February 2022, Germany has sought to diversify its relations in the region, which had previously focused heavily on economic ties to Russia and China.