At a meeting of Kazakhstan’s Deputy Premier and Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tileuberdi with ambassadors from EU Member States, the diplomats reiterated their interest in further strengthening comprehensive cooperation with Kazakhstan as well as consistently supporting the course of political and socio-economic modernization of the country pursued by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.

Tileuberdi and the EU ambassadors discussed intensification of investment, trade, economic, political, cultural and humanitarian cooperation, current situation in Kazakhstan after the tragic events last January, as well as the discussion of priorities for further bilateral and multilateral cooperation, Kazakhstan’s Foreign Ministry said.

In his remarks, Tileuberdi informed the European colleagues about the main approaches of the country’s leadership towards building a New Kazakhstan in light of the consequences of the Tragic January and confirmed the state’s commitment to further democratic transformations.

“We have built strong relations with the European Union based on trust, mutual respect and common priorities. These relations are supported by a reliable partnership in ensuring global and regional security, dynamic trade cooperation, as well as strong political ties,” Tileuberdi said.

During the meeting, Kazakhstan’s First Vice-Economy Minister Timur Zhaksylykov said his ministry is actively working on coordination and approval of the Action Programme of the Government of Kazakhstan for 2022 aimed at stimulating inclusive economic growth, ensuring macroeconomic stability and development of entrepreneurship.

The head of the EU delegation to Kazakhstan Kestutis Jankauskas noted that Kazakhstan is an important partner for the EU. “We remain committed to our dialogue in the framework of the Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreements (EPCA) and will continue to support Kazakhstan in the ongoing reform process, including political reforms and democratisation,” he said.

Building a green economy

French Ambassador Didier Canesse, whose country holds the rotating EU Presidency, said the EU Council plans to strength cooperation with Kazakhstan, which is a key partner for us in Central Asia. Among the regional priorities of the EU presidency, the ambassador mentioned the full implementation of the provisions of the EU-Kazakhstan EPCA, including the agenda for further democratic transition in Kazakhstan; the post-COVID economic recovery and investment climate; the building of a green economy; and ensuring sustainable connectivity in Central Asia and with Europe.

Tokayev and Svevind CEO Wolfgang Kropp signed in November 2021 in Brussels an agreement outlining the principles of the implementation of the Swedish company’s green hydrogen projects in the Mangystau region, Western Kazakhstan, to deliver green hydrogen from 2030. Svevind´s green hydrogen projects will support the action towards the goals of the Paris Agreement and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.

At the meeting with Tileuberdi on February 14, the European diplomats expressed their support for the programme of socio-economic and political reforms in the country, noting the EU’s readiness for further constructive dialogue with Kazakhstan on the rule of law and democratisation to strengthen the EU-Kazakhstan partnership. In this context they noted the important role of effective interaction between the authorities and civil society.

Slovak-Kazakh cooperation

Kazakhstan’s Deputy Foreign Minister Roman Vassilenko met Ambassador of Slovakia to Kazakhstan on February 15. Vassilenko, who returned to Nur-Sultan after serving as Kazakhstan’s Ambassador in Bratislava, discussed with Kollar in detail topical issues on the bilateral agenda, as well as prospects for further deepening and strengthening cooperation.

“Slovakia is our important partner in Central and Eastern Europe. Despite the fact that our countries are thousands of kilometers apart, we have much in common, which I learned from my own experience during two years of work in Bratislava,” Vassilenko wrote in a Facebook post.

“Among the most important upcoming events on our agenda are the holding of the 9th meeting of the Intergovernmental Commission on Economic, Scientific and Technical Cooperation in Bratislava on March 10-11, with the participation of representatives of private companies from the two countries; holding political and economic consultations between the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of the two countries; opening of new honorary consulates in the regions of Kazakhstan and Slovakia; further strengthening of partnerships between the universities of the two countries. For example, at the end of last year, Karaganda State University named after Buketov signed a document on cooperation with the University of Constantine the Philosopher in Nitra, and in the near future we expect to organize the signing of a cooperation agreement between the Kazakh National Agrarian Research University in Almaty and the Technical University in Zvolen,” Vassilenko said, adding that he hopes economic cooperation between Kazakhstan and Slovakia will lead to the the launch of new joint ventures and new Slovak investments in Kazakhstan in 2022.

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By: kostisg
Title: EU to support Kazakhstan’s modernization
Sourced From: www.neweurope.eu/article/eu-to-support-kazakhstans-modernization/
Published Date: Thu, 17 Feb 2022 08:00:24 +0000

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