Kazakhstan International Affairs - The Times Of Central Asia

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Doha Hosts Kazakhstan–Qatar Investment Roundtable

During his visit to Qatar on February 14th, Kazakhstan’s president Kassym-Jomart Tokayev took part in the Kazakhstan–Qatar Investment Roundtable in Doha. Mr Tokayev invited Qatari companies to invest in the Kazakh economy and explore new business opportunities, mentioning that his government is ready to provide tax and customs preferences, project co-financing, partial guarantees and export support mechanisms, the president’s press office reported. Mr Tokayev also suggested expanding the work of the Kazakhstan-Qatar Joint High-Level Commission and Business Council. The Kazakh president said that during his meeting with the Amir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, earlier in the day, he proposed to increase bilateral trade up to $500m as a first step. “We can offer the Qatari market high-quality goods such as machinery, iron, steel, and agricultural products. Our market also offers access to the Eurasian Economic Union market with a total GDP of $2.6tn. We have a common border with China as well, which gives good opportunities to make trade with this juggernaut using the Belt and Road project,” Tokayev said. Today Kazakhstan and Qatar are more closely connected than ever before, due to a visa-free regime and several direct flights per week. Mr Tokayev invited Qatari energy companies to cooperate with their Kazakh counterparts in geological exploration, petrochemicals, transportation, and oil and gas processing projects. He emphasized that Kazakhstan's renewable energy potential, estimated at one trillion kilowatt-hours, has attracted the attention of global players who have committed to projects with a capacity of 43 gigawatts. “We welcome Nebras Power’s intentions to implement a 350 megawatt hydroelectric power plant and Pearl Overseas’ plans to construct a 1.1 gigawatt combined-cycle plant in Kazakhstan,” he said. The Kazakh president also encouraged Qatari companies to participate in the extraction and processing of critical raw materials such as cobalt and lithium. In the agricultural sector, Kazakhstan can supply halal and organic agricultural products to the Qatari market, Tokayev said, adding that Kazakhstan is also interested in developing the production of meat, fruit, vegetable, grain, flour and other products with further direct supply to Qatar.

Kazakhstan’s President Among First Foreign Leaders to Address Quorum of Qatar’s Parliament

The President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev paid a working visit to Qatar on February 13-14, during which he delivered a speech to the members of the Consultative Assembly (Majlis al-Shura) in Doha. About a dozen documents were signed after negotiations between the Kazakh side and the Emir of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani. The main agreement focuses on cooperation in the construction of gas processing plants at Kazakhstan's Kashagan field between the state company, JSC QazaqGaz, and Qatar's UCC Holding - as well as projects in the field of energy and gas between JSC Samruk-Kazyna, the Kazakh Ministry of Energy, and Qatar's Power International Holding. According to the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Kazakhstan to Qatar, Arman Isagaliyev, President Tokayev's speech contained comments and observations about the upcoming reforms in Kazakhstan, as well as an assessment of events in the Middle East and the world in general. Qatar appears keenly interested in the structure and operations of state institutions given that the first parliamentary elections in the country were held just three years ago. Tokayev proposed after state-level talks that the countries could enter a fully-fledged strategic partnership. Furthermore, Tokayev noted that it's necessary to develop an inter-modal transport network connecting the Persian Gulf and Central Asia, and to expand cooperation in agriculture and organize cultural exhibitions from Kazakhstan and Qatar in each other's capitals in 2025. During the talks, Tokayev said he is ready to increase exports to Qatar on 60 non-resource-based commodity items by $250 million, and proposed bilateral trade be increased to $500 million.

China Lifts Restrictions On Importing Livestock From Kazakhstan

China has lifted restrictions on the import of poultry from Kazakhstan, as well as removing import restrictions related to foot-and-mouth disease in cattle, the Kazakh Ministry of Agriculture has announced. China’s ban on Kazakh poultry has been in place since 2005, and restrictions on the import of Kazakh meat due to foot-and-mouth disease concerns were introduced in 2022. The lifting of the restrictions allows exports of frozen beef and pork from the southeastern regions of Kazakhstan to resume, as well as of a wide range of poultry products. The decision to lift the ban comes as a result of president Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s visit to China last year, during which he raised this issue in talks with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping. During 2023 China conducted a risk assessment for avian flu and foot-and-mouth disease in Kazakhstan. In December, specialists from the Chinese customs service and Ministry of Agriculture visited Kazakhstan to assess the country’s veterinary service, to make sure that it provides sufficient control over foot-and-mouth disease. According to the Kazakh Ministry of Agriculture, between January and October 2023 agricultural trade between Kazakhstan and China increased by 70% and exceeded $1bn, with Kazakh exports amounting to $811.1m.

Kazakhstan And Great Britain Discuss Further Cooperation

Kazakhstan and Great Britain will sign a Strategic Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (SPCA) in the near future, it was announced after a February 8th meeting between Kazakhstan’s deputy minister of foreign affairs, Roman Vassilenko, and the British ambassador to Kazakhstan Kathy Leach. Mr. Vassilenko commented that the SPCA will contribute to the further growth of Kazakh-UK strategic cooperation, and pave the way for new trade and investment links. The deputy minister and the British ambassador pointed out the positive evolution of political dialogue between the countries, growth in trade and economic relations, as well as cultural ties. They also spoke of their progress working together in the fields of science and education, including in attracting British universities to take an interest in Kazakhstan. The United Kingdom is one of Kazakhstan’s most important trade partners and investors, with bilateral trade turnover in 2023 amounting to $1.2bn.

Kazakhstan To Work With United Kingdom On Green Energy

At a February 6th meeting between Kazakhstan’s minister for energy, Almasadam Satkaliev, and the country’s British ambassador Kathy Leach, it was announced that the United Kingdom is ready to work with Kazakhstan on developing wind and solar energy projects. Great Britain may also support Kazakhstan in strengthening the country’s electrical networks, switching its coal-fired industrial plants to gas, and conducting research in the field of hydrogen energy, biogas and carbon capture technologies. These updates were provided by the Kazakh Energy Ministry. The British embassy informed the ministry of the UK Fund for Climate, Energy and Water Security for Central Asia, totaling almost £20m ($25.2m), to be used over a three-year period. At the meeting Mr Satkaliev presented Kazakhstan’s plans for gradually decarbonizing its economy, as part of its target to achieve carbon neutrality by 2060. Ambassador Leach emphasized that Kazakhstan joining the Global Methane Pledge, which president Kassym-Jomart Tokayev announced at COP-28 in December 2023, creates many more opportunities for the country to attract financing for low-carbon technology projects.

Kazakhstan Extends Oil Exports To Germany

Germany has agreed to extend Kazakh oil imports for six months (January-June 2024) with a transportation volume of 100,000 tons per month. This comes as a result of a February 6th meeting between the chairman of Kazakhstan’s national oil and gas company KazMunayGas, Magzum Mirzagaliyev, and Johannes Bremer, the chairman of Rosneft Deutschland. Rosneft Deutschland GmbH is the third largest petroleum processing company in Germany. It is now under German government control, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the introduction of EU sanctions on Russian oil imports. Mr Mirzagaliyev and Mr Bremer announced that in 2023, 993,000 tons of Kazakh oil were transported through the Druzhba oil pipeline in Russia in the direction of Germany. KazMunayGas’ head said that Kazakhstan was interested in increasing its oil exports to Germany. “I am confident that joint activities will be mutually beneficial and long-term for the benefit of the economies of our countries,” said Mirzagaliyev.