Deputy Prime Minister – Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan Murat Nurtleu took part in the 20th Anniversary Meeting of the Republic of Kazakhstan – European Union Cooperation Council. Minister for Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation of Spain, chairing the EU Council, José Manuel Albares headed the European delegation at the meeting, El.kz cites MFA.
The parties held a traditional review of the multifaceted interaction between Kazakhstan and the European Union and discussed the practical implementation of the Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (EPCA). Particular attention is given to energy, transport and logistics, digitalization, civil aviation, visa facilitation, as well as the extraction and development of critical raw materials issues.
In his speech, the Foreign Minister of Kazakhstan emphasized the strategic nature of cooperation with the European Union. “We have reached a high level of cooperation in many areas and are aimed at its further expansion. Kazakhstan will remain a reliable partner for the EU in Central Asia,” Nurtleu said.
Foreign Minister of Kazakhstan noted with satisfaction the positive dynamics of successful partnership in trade and economic sphere. The EU is Kazakhstan’s largest trading partner, with trade turnover reaching 40 billion US dollars in 2022. At the same time, the volume of FDI from EU countries in Kazakhstan’s economy last year totaled 12.5 billion US dollars, 23 percent higher than in 2021.
The parties discussed joint actions to diversify transit corridors between Europe and Asia by realizing Kazakhstan’s transport and logistics potential, including the pairing of the EU’s Global Gateway strategy with the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route.
The parties welcomed the start of consultations on visa facilitation for Kazakh citizens. The Kazakh side invited the delegation of the European Commission to Astana for the next round of consultations.
Minister J.M. Albares emphasized that Kazakhstan is a reliable partner of the EU in Central Asia and expressed the commitment of the European Union to further constructive cooperation on a wide range of issues.
In the field of education and science, the parties discussed the prospects for further cooperation between the EU and Kazakhstan to strengthen the potential of Kazakhstan’s youth, their participation in the EU’s Erasmus+ and Horizon Europe programmes.
The relevance of enhancing practical cooperation in agriculture and water management, areas closely linked to food security and sustainable development in the region, was also emphasized.
Members of the Kazakh delegation representing various state bodies of the Republic of Kazakhstan made presentations on trade and economic, investment and transport cooperation, protection and promotion of human rights, implementation of political reforms, etc.