Today, a new page in the
history of cooperation between Central Asia and Germany has opened, as stated
by Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev in Astana during a meeting of the
heads of state of the region and the Federal Chancellor of Germany Olaf Scholz.
A full-scale partnership with Germany which has the largest economy in the
European Union is a priority for Kazakhstan and the Central Asian countries,
according to the Head of State. Addressing the meeting participants, President
Tokayev presented his vision of key areas for further cooperation. One of the
main priorities is to increase trade turnover. Kazakhstan is ready to boost
exports to Germany by US$850 million across 100 product items, primarily in the
metallurgy and petrochemical industries. The second priority is cooperation in
the energy sector.
«We express our readiness
for mutually beneficial cooperation in the field of hydrogen energy
development. Kazakhstan, together with Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan, is developing
a project to build a green energy transmission line across the Caspian Sea bed
and further into European countries. We invite our German partners to consider
participating in this strategic project,» said
President Tokayev.
According to the Head of
State, another important area is the development of industrial cooperation,
including increasing supplies of critical materials to Germany. To facilitate
effective collaboration, President Tokayev proposed creating a Regional
Research Center for Rare Earth Metals. The green transition and water
conservation could also become promising areas for partnership, especially
since Germany has been a partner of the region's countries for many years in combating
climate change and enhancing the efficiency of the water and energy sector.
«Currently, Kazakhstan is
serving as the acting Chairman of the International Fund for Saving the Aral
Sea and, in this role, is proposing to strengthen partnerships for implementing
projects under the Aral Sea Basin Assistance Program (ASBP) and the Regional
Environmental Programme for Sustainable Development in Central Asia. We believe
that the Fund’s work is crucial for ensuring sustainable development and
prosperity of our region,» added President Tokayev.
The summit resulted in
the adoption of a Joint Declaration of the heads of state of Central Asia and
the Federal Chancellor of Germany. The parties also met with representatives of
German businesses. President Tokayev expressed support for the proposal
discussed at the meeting to create an economic council, which could play a
significant role in attracting German investments and serve as an institutional
foundation for cooperation between the Central Asian countries and Germany.
