ASTANA – German Chancellor Olaf Scholz concluded his official visit to Kazakhstan on Sept. 18, the first visit of the German Chancellor in decades. In two days of his visit, Scholz met with President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, participated in a Kazakh-German business forum, and in the meeting with five Central Asian leaders.

Germany’s Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s recent visit to Kazakhstan underscores a significant shift in Germany trade strategy as Europe adjusts to the aftermath of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. With Western sanctions increasingly targeting Russia’s economy,

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Monday visited Kazakhstan for talks on developing economic ties, on the second leg of his three-day trip to Central Asia. In the Kazakh capital Astana, Scholz met President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev,

Germany is interested in expanding trade with Kazakhstan while also ensuring such trade is not used to circumvent EU sanctions on Russia, Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on a visit to the Central Asian nation.

Several Central Asian leaders urged Germany to normalize relations with the Taliban regime in Afghanistan at a summit with Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Kazakhstan on Tuesday. Germany has been critical of the hard-line Islamist Taliban group,

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Tuesday described the deepening of relations with the republics of Central Asia as a "strategic goal for Germany" as he continued a visit to Kazakhstan for a regional summit.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz embarks on his first visit to Central Asia on Sunday, travelling to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan as Berlin looks for new markets and sources of energy and minerals in the wake of the Ukraine war.