Germany urges Central Asia to strictly comply with sanctions

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul has called on Central Asian countries to fully comply with European Union sanctions against Russia. He said that in some cases countries in the region have enabled Russia to bypass restrictions. He made the statement on February 11 ahead of a meeting with the foreign ministers of Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan.

Wadephul reminded that the European Union had introduced wide-ranging sanctions to curb Russia’s “war machine.” He said attempts to circumvent sanctions indirectly support Moscow’s war and pose a threat to EU security.

“Today I want to say clearly: circumventing sanctions supports the Russian Federation’s war of aggression,” he said.

Germany called on Central Asian states to stand together with the European Union on the issue.

On February 11, Uzbekistan’s Foreign Minister Bakhtiyor Saidov held talks with Wadephul in Berlin. The sides discussed expanding strategic partnership, trade, energy cooperation, and regional stability. They agreed to strengthen economic ties and deepen cooperation through upcoming summits.

Earlier, the Kyrgyz government expressed serious concern about the EU’s sanctions policy, stating that unilateral restrictive measures could negatively affect the sustainable socio-economic development of Central Asian countries and their trade, financial, and investment cooperation with European partners. Some companies, including those in Kyrgyzstan, have reportedly already fallen under EU and US sanctions over suspected sanctions evasion.

Musulmon Sodiq