German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Tuesday described the deepening of relations with the republics of Central Asia as a “strategic goal for Germany” as he continued a visit to Kazakhstan for a regional summit. “Never before has the exchange between our societies been so close – and it is constantly increasing: politically, economically and culturally,” Scholz said in the Kazakh capital Astana. “We want to continue and further intensify this.” Scholz had established a strategic partnership with Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan at the first summit bringing together t…