Tokayev’s Article: We Offer Germany a Partnership in Strategically Important Materials
German newspaper Handelsblatt has published an article by Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, in which he noted that Kazakhstan already produces 21 of the 34 raw materials of strategic importance to Europe and is ready to build complete production chains jointly with German businesses, 24KZ reports.
THE FULL TEXT OF THE ARTICLE
“In politics, as in economics, trust is capital, and reliability is its highest form. Amid growing international turbulence, relationships of this kind acquire particular value.
Over more than three decades, Kazakhstan and Germany have accumulated substantial mutual trust and built a reliable framework for a strategic partnership distinguished by constructive political dialogue, consistent implementation of agreements and a firm focus on concrete results.
For Kazakhstan, Germany is more than a key trading partner and major investor. It is a country with which we share economic interests and an unwavering commitment to international law.
Today, our cooperation extends far beyond the bilateral agenda. It is becoming an important link between Asia and Europe, making a significant contribution to economic resilience, energy security and transport connectivity across Eurasia.
Deep ties between people form a strong foundation for our cooperation. More than 200,000 ethnic Germans live in Kazakhstan today, while Germany is home to more than one million people who came from our country. Shared historical memory and cultural traditions bring our peoples closer together. It is this foundation that allows us to look to the future with confidence.
I therefore see my current visit to Germany, above all, as an opportunity to open a new chapter in our strategic partnership, identify new areas for growth and give fresh momentum to our joint work.
All the necessary conditions are in place. In 2025, bilateral trade approached $9 billion (€7.9 billion). More than 1,000 enterprises with German capital are registered in Kazakhstan. There is also considerable potential to diversify Kazakh exports and produce goods with higher added value.
We could additionally supply the German market with more than 80 types of processed products. The greatest opportunities lie in metallurgy, petrochemicals, the food industry and railway engineering. Combining our efforts in critical minerals also appears particularly relevant.
Strategic resources for the energy transition and digitalization
Kazakhstan already produces 21 of the 34 raw materials of strategic importance to the European economy. These include lithium, silicon, cobalt, niobium, tungsten and copper. These materials are essential for the energy transition, engineering, industrial production, microelectronics and digital technologies.
We offer our German partners more than guaranteed supplies: we propose jointly creating complete production chains, from geological exploration and extraction to processing, component manufacturing and the reuse of materials.
Energy holds a special place in our relations. Kazakhstan has established itself as a reliable and stable supplier of energy resources to Europe, accounting for approximately 13% of the European Union’s oil imports and 20% of its natural uranium supplies. In 2025, our oil supplies to Germany exceeded 10 million tons.
We are ready to continue fulfilling this role responsibly, taking into account existing transport capacity.
Promising opportunities are emerging in renewable energy, power grid modernization and improved energy efficiency. Further strengthening economic ties requires reliable transport routes connecting East and West.
About 85% of overland freight transit from China to Europe passes through Kazakhstan, amounting to approximately 40 million tons last year. The Trans-Caspian International Transport Route is expanding connections between Asia and Europe. In the first eight months of this year, shipments along this corridor increased by 22%, while East to West transit volumes rose by 55%.
New transport projects will directly connect several regions with Caspian ports and shorten the China to Europe route by 1,000 km. In this way, we are creating faster routes and opening new opportunities for German businesses.
Another important area could be the active involvement of German companies in air cargo transportation through our country and the development of aviation hubs in Kazakhstan.
Combining the strengths of Kazakhstan and Germany
Today, the movement of goods is inseparable from the movement of data. Digitalization and the adoption of artificial intelligence technologies should therefore become another promising area of Kazakh-German cooperation.
No strategy can succeed without qualified specialists. The future of our partnership is embodied by a young Kazakh engineer educated to German standards and applying that knowledge at a joint enterprise.
Investment decisions also require a long-term approach, and they are impossible without trust in state institutions.
Since 2019, Kazakhstan has consistently strengthened these foundations through extensive political and socioeconomic reforms.
In foreign policy, Kazakhstan follows a balanced and pragmatic course based on mutual respect, the sovereign equality of states and adherence to international law. This makes our country a reliable and predictable partner.
‘Einigkeit macht stark,’ or ‘Unity is strength,’ says a German proverb. This wisdom is reflected in our cooperation, in which the strengths of Kazakhstan and Germany naturally complement one another.
I am convinced that, by expanding the horizons of mutually beneficial cooperation, our countries will together strengthen an area of stability and prosperity across the Eurasian continent.”
Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev arrived in Germany on Monday for an official visit at the invitation of Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.
