ASTANA (TCA) — On June 14, within the framework of EXPO-2017, the 5th Kazakh-Austrian business council meeting was held in Astana, bringing together representatives of state bodies, diplomatic missions, businesses, research institutions, and non-governmental organizations, the official website of the Prime Minister of Kazakhstan reported.
At the council’s meeting, representatives of Kazakhstan companies could find new business partners, discuss and develop new projects, and learn about the latest Austrian technologies and knows-how.
The Chairman of the Union of Machine Builders of Kazakhstan Meiram Pshembaev said that for five years the Kazakh-Austrian cooperation has demonstrated positive dynamics. The amount of investments in Kazakhstan from the Austrian side for the period of cooperation amounted to more than $4 billion. At the end of 2016, exports from Kazakhstan to Austria amounted to 663.9 million euros, imports from Austria to Kazakhstan totaled 224.6 million euros.
Kazakhstan exports to Austria oil, wheat, ore materials, and metals.
The number of joint projects has increased to 43 companies including OMV, Kapsch, Strabag, Bertsch, Porr, Siemens, Swarovski, VAMED, Doppelmayr, and Christof Group. Cooperation has been established for the production of railroad rails, sensor technologies for railways, the supply of cranes and the creation of a local service center for marine and mobile harbor cranes.
The Kazakh-Austrian partnership is now focused on the manufacturing sector, engineering, MMC, chemistry, petrochemistry, pharmaceutics, logistics, and tourism.
The Vice Minister of Science, Research and Economics of Austria and co-chairperson of the Austrian-Kazakhstan Joint Commission Bernadette Girlinger, who is also the Austrian government commissioner for EXPO-2017, and the Vice President of the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber and co-chairman of the Kazakh-Austrian Business Council Richard Schenz participated in the event.
In general, the council represents more than 100 Austrian companies.
