German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who is also the chairman-in-office of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), is set to begin a tour of Central Asian countries, the German Foreign Ministry said in a statement on March 29.
During the three-day regional tour, which starts on March 30, Steinmeier will visit Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan, the statement said.
Ahead of the tour, Steinmeier described Central Asia as a "region of strategic importance" with its "vast business opportunities" as well as "considerable risks to [global] stability."
He said the region is a place where “the interests of the major regional powers Russia, China, and Iran meet.”
The statement said the fight against terrorism, regional cooperation, and economic ties will be high on the agenda in Steinmeier's meetings in the region.
