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Germany signs agreement on migration with Uzbekistan
Berlin had stopped returning people to Afghanistan because of human rights concerns after the Islamic Emirate took power in 2021.
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.
“We are enabling the necessary immigration of workers with great talent that we need in Germany so that our economy can grow,” Scholz said on Sunday after a meeting with Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev in the Uzbek city of Samarkand, Reuters reported.
The two countries also agreed on “simple, unbureaucratic procedures for those who have to go back,” Scholz said, without elaborating.
He did not respond to media speculation that the agreement with Uzbekistan would also serve to deport Afghans who had committed crimes.
“Otherwise, of course, there are confidential talks about cooperation in many areas,” he added.
Germany said on Aug. 30 it had resumed deportations of convicted criminals of Afghan nationality to their home country, days before regional elections in which migration was a campaign issue.
Berlin had stopped returning people to Afghanistan because of human rights concerns after the Islamic Emirate took power in 2021.
German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser, who accompanied Scholz and who signed the agreement in Samarkand, said she was planning further flights to Afghanistan in order to deport serious offenders of Afghan nationality, Reuters reported.
“But we will see with which countries we do this in cooperation,” Faeser said.
The German government has no direct relations with the Taliban government in Afghanistan and the first deportation flight in August was mediated by Qatar.
Terrorist activities continue to be observed along Afghanistan borders and along the India–Pakistan–Afghanistan corridor, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in an interview published on Monday.
Speaking to Russia-based media outlet TV BRICS, Lavrov pointed to ongoing concerns in the Middle East, including its Asian regions.
He highlighted the importance of collaboration with India at the United Nations to advance a global counter-terrorism convention.
Lavrov stated that while the draft convention has already been prepared, consensus on its adoption has not yet been reached.
Russia has repeatedly expressed concern about militant threats from Afghanistan. The Islamic Emirate, however, has dismissed the concerns saying that it will not allow Afghanistan’s soil to be used against any country.
Noorullah Noori, Afghanistan’s Minister of Borders and Tribal Affairs, held a phone conversation with Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs, to discuss bilateral border cooperation.
According to the Iranian news agency IRNA, both sides reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening border collaboration, with a particular focus on the ongoing renovation and updating of border markers. They also agreed to accelerate joint technical and legal meetings to enhance coordination.
As part of the agreement, the next meeting of senior border officials from Afghanistan and Iran is scheduled to take place in Iran in 1405 (2026–2027).
The Director General of the OIC Mission in Kabul, Mohammed Saeed Alayyash, met on Sunday with Rolf Dieter Reinhard, Head of the German Liaison Office for Afghanistan in Doha and Acting Chargé d’Affaires of the German Embassy in Afghanistan.
During the discussion, both sides exchanged views on the latest developments in Afghanistan. They focused on the security situation, as well as the humanitarian and economic conditions faced by the Afghan people.
The two officials also reviewed recent political developments and broader challenges in the country, highlighting the need for continued international engagement and support.
The meeting emphasized the importance of ongoing cooperation and coordination between the OIC Mission and the German side in addressing Afghanistan’s challenges and in supporting efforts to promote stability and improve the humanitarian situation.
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