ASTANA—President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev hosted German Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz at Akorda during an official visit to Kazakhstan on Sept 16, marking Scholz’s first visit in 14 years.
Olaf Scholz and President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev at Akorda. Photo credit: akorda.kz
In his welcoming remarks, President Tokayev expressed gratitude to Scholz for his visit, describing it as a historic moment.
“I am sure that we will give a very serious impetus to the development of our cooperation and increase bilateral trade. This is very important because Germany is one of our main European and even global partners,” said Tokayev.
He emphasized the importance of multifaceted cooperation between the two countries and expressed Kazakhstan’s commitment to further deepening and strengthening mutual ties.
“I thank you for the invitation and the opportunity to discuss and promote our bilateral relations,” said Scholz, who arrived in Kazakhstan with a large delegation of business representatives.
The two leaders discussed political, trade, economic, cultural and humanitarian ties. They also noted cooperation in critical sectors such as energy and the green transition, industry, mining, transport and logistics, climate change, ecology, agriculture and education.
During the meeting, President Tokayev, at the request of Scholz, commented on the resolution of the situation around Ukraine.
“It is a fact that, from a military standpoint, Russia is invincible. Further escalation of the war will lead to irreparable consequences for all of humanity, and, above all, for the countries directly involved in the Russian-Ukrainian conflict. Unfortunately, a good opportunity to reach at least a ceasefire was missed with the refusal to sign the Istanbul Agreement,” said Tokayev.
Tokayev emphasized “the possibility for achieving peace still exists.”
“It is necessary to carefully consider all peace initiatives from various countries and reach a decision to stop the hostilities, and then proceed to discussing territorial issues. In our view, the peace plan proposed by China and Brazil deserves support,” said Tokayev.
“Leaders of states come and go, but nations, especially neighboring nations, must live in peace and mutual understanding. Kazakhstan shares the longest delimited land border in the world with Russia, and cooperation between our countries is developing within the framework of a strategic partnership and alliance. Kazakhstan holds genuine sympathy for the Ukrainian people and their unique culture. There have never been any disagreements between our states. The Embassy of Kazakhstan continues to operate in Kyiv,” said President Tokayev.
Germany is a key trade and investment partner for Kazakhstan. According to the Kazakh government, mutual trade increased by 13% in the first seven months of this year compared to the same period in 2023, totaling $2.3 billion. Last year, direct investments from Germany to Kazakhstan rose by 64%, reaching $770 million, with most funds directed toward developing the non-primary sector of the economy, a priority for Kazakhstan.
The German Federal Chancellor will also attend the second Central Asia+Germany summit on Sept. 17 to discuss strategic cooperation in trade and joint investment projects.
