ASTANA – President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev took part in a roundtable of the Eastern Committee of the German economy alongside his Central Asian counterparts on Sept. 29 in Berlin, expressing confidence that the meeting would open new horizons of economic cooperation between the countries, reported the Akorda press service.
Photo credit: Akorda.
Roundtable discussion
Tokayev referred to great prospects opened up by Central Asia’s key trade corridors and vast natural resources, calling the region a unique strategic hub connecting the Eurasian space with substantial potential for strengthening trade and investment ties with Germany and the European Union (EU).
He made a number of proposals to bring Kazakh-German cooperation to a higher level, primarily in the field of critical raw materials. With huge reserves of critical metals and minerals needed by the EU, Kazakhstan has substantial potential for both joint mining and processing these resources.
Tokayev mentioned an agreement reached with the German company HMS Bergbau for geological exploration work with a view to building a lithium processing complex valued at $500 million worth of investment.
Kassym-Jomart Tokayev participates in a roundtable of the Eastern Committee of the German economy. Photo credit: Akorda.
Speaking of industrial cooperation, the President highlighted the Linde project with full gas processing for urea production estimated at $1.4 billion of investment.
In addition to hydrocarbon supplies, strengthening global food security, cooperation in transit-transport and financial spheres, Tokayev prioritized sustainable development and green economy, inviting German partners to participate in the Regional Climate Summit in Kazakhstan in 2026 under the auspices of the United Nations.
“We have committed to achieving carbon neutrality by 2060. However, to achieve this, we will need to significantly modernize our economy and attract more than 600 billion investments in green technologies,” he stated.
Chairwoman of the Board of the Eastern Committee of the German Economy Cathrina Claas-Mühlhäuser, and top managers of Linde, Knauf, Aurubis, German Seed Alliance GmbH, Ernst Klett AG, and other German companies delivered their remarks at the event.
Machinery production
Also, the President met with Mercedes-Benz Group AG Chairman Ola Källenius, who spoke about the company’s new approaches to the development of global supply chains and opportunities for Kazakhstan’s economy.
Emphasizing the country’s aspiration to diversify its economy and develop industrial production, particularly in machinery construction, Tokayev noted well-established collaboration with General Electric, General Motors, Chevrolet, Kia and Hyundai, which contributed to a 28% growth to over 100,000 new cars, and the exports increase to $3.8 billion last year.
Gas and engineering technology
At the meeting with Oliver Pfann, Senior Vice President of Linde GmbH for the Middle East, Europe and Africa, the President lauded the signing of a memorandum with the KazMunayGas national oil and gas company to deliver existing and future oil and gas chemical projects in Kazakhstan.
As the world’s leading company in mechanical engineering, design and production of industrial gas, Linde uses its own technology to develop an extended basic design for ethane cracking and air separation (nitrogen, industrial air) units utilized in the production of polyethylene.
Tokayev welcomed the company’s interest in becoming a co-investor in a 1.3 million tonnes per annum urea production project, noting its significance not only in the petrochemical industry but also in agriculture, especially in the cultivation of rice and grain crops.
Manufacturing, energy, machinery and digitalization spheres
The President met with Roland Busch, CEO of Siemens AG, the largest industrial conglomerate in Germany and the EU with a wide range of products and services starting from transport, energy and medical equipment to electrical and lighting engineering.
Tokayev recognized the large contribution of Siemens to the technological development of Kazakhstan, assuring that the collaboration can be expanded further.
Healthcare, sustainable agriculture and scientific research
During the meeting with Stefan Oelrich, Member of the Board of Management of Bayer AG and head of the Pharmaceuticals Division, the President expressed Kazakhstan’s interest in access to Bayer’s latest medical products, opening laboratories and initiating joint research projects.
Mentioning the creation of the QazBioPharm national biopharmaceutical holding company to develop a biotechnology cluster, Tokayev focused on the establishment of facilities for the production of fertilizers, pesticides and other biochemicals used in agriculture.
Discussing potential measures to simplify procedures for importing new medicines into Kazakhstan, the President put forward scientific and business cooperation prospects in breeding and genetic engineering.
Energy sector
At the meeting with Siemens Energy CEO Christian Bruch, Tokayev recalled the importance of a memorandum signed in the energy sector, aimed at implementing major energy projects and decarbonisation processes in Kazakhstan.
As the President stressed the significance of constructing gas turbine power plants, Bruch expressed the company’s readiness to supply equipment for power generating projects, and shared plans to upgrade Kazakhstan’s power grids.
