ASTANA, Kazakhstan, April 1. Murat Nurtleu, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan, met with the EU Special Representative for Central Asia, Eduards Stiprais, who arrived in Kazakhstan on a working visit, Trend reports.
In the course of the meeting, special attention was given to the issues of green transformation and the transport and logistics connectivity of the region with the European Union. In this context, the importance of implementing projects aimed at developing the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route was highlighted.
"During the meeting, the parties discussed a wide range of bilateral and regional cooperation issues, including the practical implementation of the Agreement on Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation between Kazakhstan and the European Union, strengthening economic ties, investment cooperation, as well as regional security topics," the information notes.
Murat Nurtleu, confirming the country's commitment to deepening the partnership with the European Union, emphasized the significant importance of the upcoming "Central Asia - European Union" Summit, which will be held in Uzbekistan’s Samarkand this week.
In turn, Stiprais highly appreciated the dynamics of cooperation between Kazakhstan and the EU, noting the key role of Kazakhstan in the development of interregional cooperation and the implementation of important infrastructure and economic projects.
Following the meeting, the parties agreed to continue constructive dialogue on all relevant issues of the bilateral and regional agenda.
The European Union is Kazakhstan's main trade and investment partner. In 2024, trade turnover between Kazakhstan and the EU amounted to $49.7 billion (+16.9 percent), including exports from Kazakhstan – $38.6 billion, imports to Kazakhstan – $11.1 billion. The gross inflow of direct investments from EU countries from 2005 to September 2024 totaled $200.7 billion, which accounts for 47.8 percent of total foreign direct investment ($419.5 billion). Of these, in the first nine months of 2024, direct investments from EU countries amounted to $6.4 billion or 50.4 percent of the total volume. More than 3,000 companies with European participation are operating in Kazakhstan