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German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier is departing on Sunday for a five-day trip to Asia, with stops planned in Indonesia, the Philippines and Uzbekistan, according to the presidential office.<\/p>\n
Steinmeier will be accompanied by his wife Elke B\u00fcdenbender and a business delegation, his office said.<\/p>\n
Indonesia is South-East Asia’s largest democracy, the world’s largest island nation and the world’s largest Muslim-majority country, with more than 280 million inhabitants.<\/p>\n
Since 2024, the country has been governed by President Prabowo Subianto, a former general and former defence minister who won the election by a clear margin.<\/p>\n
A key focus of Steinmeier’s visit to the capital Jakarta will be the peaceful coexistence of different religions.<\/p>\n
In the Philippine capital Manila, the German president plans to visit a Lufthansa production facility and meet Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Ressa.<\/p>\n
The Philippines is one of South-East Asia’s most populous countries, with 117 million inhabitants.<\/p>\n
Ferdinand Marcos Jr has been president since 2022. He is the son of former long-time ruler and dictator Ferdinand Marcos.<\/p>\n
His government is pursuing a comparatively pragmatic course, focusing on investment, economic growth and closer cooperation with the US – particularly in light of tensions with China in the South China Sea.<\/p>\n
The final stop on Steinmeier’s trip is the Uzbek capital Tashkent, where the president plans to visit a branch of German construction company GP G\u00fcnter Papenburg, among other engagements.<\/p>\n
The visit is expected to focus on the topic of skilled labour migration. Many young people from Uzbekistan go to work as guest workers in Russia or Turkey.<\/p>\n
Uzbekistan also has more German-language learners than any other country in Asia, the presidential office said.<\/p>\n