Germany and Uzbekistan sealed an agreement on migration and labor mobility and concluded a number of other accords designed to deepen cooperation in areas including critical raw materials and climate action.

Germany has signed a deal with Uzbekistan to enable the migration of skilled workers from the Central Asian nation to support the German economy and the return of some immigrants, Chancellor Olaf Scholz said.

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,

Agreement focuses on enabling migration of skilled labor from Central Asian nation to Germany, streamlining return of those without residency rights in country - Anadolu Ajansı

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz did not respond to media speculation that the agreement with Uzbekistan would also serve to deport Afghans who had committed crimes.

Germany and Uzbekistan sealed an agreement on migration and labor mobility and concluded a number of other accords designed to deepen cooperation in areas including critical raw materials like copper.

Scholz will also attend summit in Kazakhstan with region's five former Soviet republics, which are all heavily influenced by China and Russia German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Sunday signed a bilateral agreement on migration with Uzbekistan as he travelled to Central Asia for a three-day visit.