The expansion of bilateral cooperation and new areas of
partnership became the main topics of the Kazakhstan-Finland Business Forum held in Astana. The event was
attended by Kazakh President
Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and President of Finland Alexander Stubb. The Head of
State highlighted several promising areas for further cooperation, including
transport and logistics. He also informed Finnish entrepreneurs about the country’s priorities in this sector,
particularly the development of the Trans-Caspian International Transport
Route. The President also noted
the significant contribution of Nurminen Logistics to the creation of an
efficient multimodal transport system in the region.
«We aim to deepen cooperation with the Finnish ports such as Helsinki and Kotka-Hamina through
the exchange of expertise and advanced technological solutions, fostering new
bridges of connectivity between our countries. We invite Finnish companies to
join these efforts and contribute to building efficient, sustainable transport
links between Europe and Central Asia,» President Tokayev noted.
President Tokayev also drew the attention of the
forum participants to the prospects for developing the
nuclear industry. He emphasized that Kazakhstan views this sector as a key
element of its long-term energy strategy. The Head of State underlined
the importance of partnership between the Kazakhstan Atomic Energy Agency and Finland’s Radiation
and Nuclear Safety Authority (STUK). He also noted that, in
addition to traditional energy sources, the country possesses vast reserves of
mineral resources.
«Our country produces 21 of the 34 rare
earth elements considered critical to the European Union’s economy. We are
holding a pragmatic approach, attracting investment and technology in exchange
for access to raw materials. Finnish company Metso is already contributing
advanced mineral processing and industrial automation solutions. We see great
potential for expanding cooperation in this area,» President Tokayev said.
The President also
emphasized the importance of cooperation in agriculture, the financial sector, environmental
protection, digitalization, and artificial intelligence. He informed the
participants of the business forum that Kazakhstan aims to become a fully digital nation within the next three
years. The Head of State also encouraged representatives of the Finnish
business community to cooperate with the Astana International Financial Centre.
«Given Finland’s leadership in artificial intelligence and high-performance computing, particularly through the LUMI supercomputer, we see great potential for partnership in AI research, advanced data analytics, tech education, and innovation ecosystems,» President Tokayev added.
Notably, Kazakhstan is Finland’s key partner in Central Asia.
Last year, the volume of direct investments from Suomi to Kazakhstan increased
by more than 80%, reaching nearly half a billion US dollars. Today, around 50
companies with Finnish participation are successfully
operating in the country. Kazakhstan intends
to further strengthen their presence and expand investment cooperation.
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