Azerbaijan, Baku, July 12 / Trend S. Suleymanov /
Astana will host a Kazakh-German business forum July 18.
The Kazakh Trade and Industrial Chamber reported that German Chancellor Angela Merkel is expected to participate in the event. She will pay a one-day visit to Kazakhstan.
According to official figures, trade between Kazakhstan and Germany fell by 29 percent in 2009 compared to the same period last year due to the global economic crisis. Mutual trade between Germany and Kazakhstan hit $3 billionin 2008.
Germany ranked first among EU countries in terms of supplies to the Kazakh market. German companies have invested more than $3.5 billion in the Kazakh economy. About 700 companies have been created with the participation of German capital.