German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul will meet his counterparts from Central Asian countries in Berlin to discuss energy, resource security, and measures against Russian sanctions circumvention.

The talks come amid the EU’s 20th sanctions package against Russia, which could for the first time target Central Asian states like Kyrgyzstan, whose companies are accused of buying EU goods and reselling them to Russia. Since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, trade between Germany and these countries has risen significantly, The Caspian Post reports via foreign media.

Wadephul will meet foreign ministers from Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan. Germany views these states as key partners on energy diversification, climate change, and economic cooperation, including access to raw materials such as those from Kazakhstan.

It is unknown whether Germany supports EU sanctions against Central Asian nations but emphasized the region’s growing strategic importance.