Germany, Kazakhstan expanding comprehensive economic cooperation
On 28 January 2020 during a working visit to Berlin Kazakh Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tleuberdi met with Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs of Germany Heiko Maas to agree on the implementation of bilateral agreements reached in December last year during the first official visit of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to Germany. The parties also discussed the schedule of upcoming meetings and visits at the high and highest levels, the Kazakh foreign ministry informs.
German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas praised the reforms carried out by the President of Kazakhstan in the field of freedom of peaceful assembly, the formation of political parties, the abolition of the death penalty, etc.
Mukhtar Tleuberdi attended bilateral meetings with the leaders of the largest companies in Germany and discussed the possibilities of enhancing cooperation and specific projects in the field of waste processing and disposal, development of the transport and logistics business, digitalization and information technology.
German businessmen positively marked the practical results of the December visit of President Tokayev to Germany, the unique conditions of support offered by him for German companies and the creation of a special working group to interact with German investors, to be chaired by the Deputy Prime Minister of Kazakhstan.
On the same day, at the invitation of the German side, the Foreign Minister of Kazakhstan spoke as an honored guest at the New Year's reception of the Eastern Committee of the German Economy. The event was also attended by heads of state bodies of the Federal Republic of Germany, countries of Eastern Europe and Central Asia, heads of leading German companies and business associations.
In his speech, the Kazakh foreign minister thanked the Eastern Committee of the German Economy for its significant contribution to strengthening business ties between the business communities of the two countries.
“For us, Germany is a key partner in the European Union, relations with which have a high strategic priority. We are glad that Germany attaches great importance to cooperation with Kazakhstan. Our country accounts for 86% of all trade between Germany and Central Asia. About 900 German companies operating in Kazakhstan make a serious contribution to the modernization and development of our economy,” the head of the Kazakh foreign ministry said.
The Minister called on German businessmen to invest in Kazakhstan and voiced a number of benefits and preferential conditions that increase the investment attractiveness of the Kazakh market and significantly expand opportunities for mutually beneficial activities.
Businesses expressed interest in increasing their presence and investment projects in the Kazakhstan, and also thanked the Kazakh leadership for the special attention to the German projects.
During the event, Minister Mukhtar Tleuberdi met with the Federal Minister for Economic Affair and Energy of the Federal Republic of Germany, Peter Altmaier, who thanked the leadership of Kazakhstan for their special attention to German business, expressed readiness to expand Germany's presence in the Kazakhstan market and increase investments in the country and the region. He confirmed his readiness to visit Nur-Sultan to participate in the 12th WTO Ministerial Conference in June this year.
The visit of the Foreign Minister of Kazakhstan to Berlin confirmed the high dynamics of bilateral cooperation set during the official visit of the Head of State in December 2019.
The Eastern Committee of the German Economy was founded in 1952. The main goals of the organization are to support German business abroad, ensure legal security and regulatory requirements, eliminate trade and visa barriers, create a pan-European economic space. It unites about 200 different kinds of enterprises, from start-ups and family companies to the largest joint-stock companies and transnational corporations included in the DAX index.
The Organization represents the interests of German business in 28 countries of Eastern Europe and Central Asia, a region that, according to expert estimates, ranks first in terms of German foreign trade, ahead of the United States and China.
