French President Emmanuel Macron arrives in Central Asia amid great power rivalry

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French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Central Asia on Wednesday, aiming to boost France’s profile in a region where Russia, China, Turkey and Europe are all jostling for influence. Macron landed at 0420 GMT in the Kazakh capital Astana for talks with counterpart Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and is due to sign contracts in sectors including pharmaceuticals and aerospace. After meeting university students, the French leader will then travel on to Samarkand in neighbouring Uzbekistan where he will stay until Thursday. France wants to put its political and economic mark on the energy-rich region. French energy giant EDF is in the running...