Large French enterprises are planning to set up a number of joint ventures in several fields in Kazakhstan. The agreement was reached during the meeting between Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and French business representatives in Paris.
Leaders of major French companies representing sectors such as the nuclear industry, energy, industrial gas production, and transport said they are ready to continue developing joint projects with Kazakhstan. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev held a series of meetings, where they discussed the prospects for the work of future ventures in Kazakhstan and the results of the operation of existing ones.
Next, the Head of State attended the Kazakhstan-France Investment Forum, where he held a meeting with top businesspeople of the host country. Negotiations were held in a free form. The President told the meeting participants about the most promising areas of investment cooperation.
“First and foremost, we are consolidating the rule of law. Within the next seven years, we plan to attract US$150 billion. Our investment policy will be continuously evolving. The government is prepared to provide the necessary support, including the range of preferences and incentives,” Tokayev noted.
The parties signed a number of agreements on the creation of new production facilities and experience sharing. For example, the Pavlodar plant for the production of building materials intends to adopt the advanced French technologies to expand the range of products. Another agreement was reached on the construction of a renewable power station in the vicinity of Lake Balkhash. One of the French companies plans to invest 50 million euros in projects for the manufacturing and maintenance of electric locomotives, rolling stock equipment, and rail transport infrastructure. Branches will open in Astana and Almaty cities, as well as the Zhambyl and Turkistan regions. It is also planned to launch projects in the aviation industry.
“We have a great relationship with Airbus company. We purchase a lot of aircraft and plan to buy 28 items by 2025. As such, we will get 51 aiplanes, including 28 from Airbus, the rest from Boeing. At the same time, we need to open an aircraft maintenance centre in Kazakhstan,” added Kairbek Uskenbayev, Kazakh Minister of Industry and Infrastructure Development.
The parties have also concluded agreements in the field of education and science. They signed 22 documents in total. One of the agreements envisages the opening of a representative office of the Polytechnic Institute of Paris in Kazakhstan.
