Investment and Trade: How Kazakhstan-Germany Economic Cooperation Is Developing
President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has begun his official visit to the Federal Republic of Germany, 24KZ reports. A welcoming ceremony for the President was held at Berlin Brandenburg Airport Willy Brandt.
Sayana Sanakova, correspondent:
- Europe's largest economy is welcoming the President of Kazakhstan. Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has arrived in Berlin. Air Force One landed at Berlin Brandenburg Airport Willy Brandt. A German guard of honour welcomed the Head of State at the aircraft.
Over the past few years, Astana and Berlin have built a substantial history of contacts. This is Kassym-Jomart Tokayev's fourth official visit to Germany. Previous meetings have consistently resulted in concrete agreements. The current agenda also promises to be extensive, including high-level talks, meetings with German business representatives, as well as discussions on technology and investment – in short, the expansion of the Kazakh-German partnership.
It would be no exaggeration to say that economic ties between the two countries are growing at a significant pace. Last year, bilateral trade reached $4.5 billion. There are now 1,112 enterprises with German capital operating in Kazakhstan, while the joint investment portfolio includes 61 projects worth nearly $53 billion. Particularly noteworthy is that more than 90% of investments are directed not into raw materials, but into processing, industry, transport and the agricultural sector.
According to German experts, Kazakhstan and its German partners are developing an Institute for Sustainable Engineering.
Hans-Ludger Dienel, Head of the Nexus Institute and Professor at TU Berlin:
- Good relations between Kazakhstan and Germany create excellent conditions for cooperation. Kazakhstan has vast natural resources, while Germany has a strong engineering tradition and extensive technological expertise. That is why in Aktobe we are interested in developing a joint Institute for Sustainable Engineering, primarily in the fields of energy and transport. These are two areas where German engineering expertise can be particularly well combined with Kazakhstan's capabilities.
But if we look at relations between Kazakhstan and Germany only through the lens of economics, we will miss much of the bigger picture. There is another connection – a human one. And it is perhaps much older than contracts and investment projects. Around 1.5 million people who resettled from the former Soviet republics now live in Germany. Walter Gauck, for example, is originally from Kazakhstan and was born in Balkhash. He moved to Germany about 30 years ago and now deals with issues concerning resettlers at the Senate level.
Walter Gauck, Berlin Senate Commissioner for Matters Concerning Late Repatriates:
- We are very happy that warm and good-neighborly relations with Kazakhstan are developing more and more across many different areas: education, the economy, culture, exchange of experience and many others. A Kazakh-German school is being built in Almaty, and the German language is developing. There is a Kazakh-German university in Almaty as well. And so on. This is a look into the future, because Germany and Kazakhstan, it seems to me, are very closely connected, and there are many Germans and resettlers here. We actually have a dream of putting up a yurt, and not just one. To be honest, we want to put up many yurts in Berlin because we dream of having this kind of atmosphere here – public celebrations, so that Berlin can have a real, large-scale Nauryz celebration. That is what we are working toward.
And what is particularly interesting is that this story is already continuing with the new generation. Fifty-eight Kazakhstani universities cooperate with German universities and educational programmes are in place. Kazakh films are screened in Germany, books by Kazakh authors are published, and Kazakh musicians perform there.
The agenda extends beyond Berlin. Kassym-Jomart Tokayev's visit programme includes Munich, one of Europe's major business and financial centres. The President will meet with representatives of Bavarian businesses and technology companies and will also take part in a technology business forum.
Here in Berlin, the visit focuses on politics, with talks scheduled with the President of Germany and the Chancellor. The main topic is the development of the strategic partnership between Kazakhstan and Germany.
Another key event will be a business forum in Berlin, bringing together representatives of Kazakhstani and German businesses.
Sayana Sanakova, correspondent:
- This is the Spree, Berlin's main river. It runs through the capital and connects different parts of the city. In much the same way, dialogue between Kazakhstan and Germany is developing today, with more areas and more points of contact: trade, investment, technology, industry and transport. Kassym-Jomart Tokayev's current visit is part of this consistent effort and an opportunity to open up new areas for partnership.
Authors: Sayana Sanakova, Marat Dikhanbayev, Bakhytbek Nurtayev, with the support of the President's TV and Radio Complex of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
