ASTANA.  March 5. KAZINFORM  /Damir Baimanov/ Today Minister of Industry and Trade Asset Issekeshev met with Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of France to our country Jean-Charles Berthonnet.

As the Ministry's press service informs, the foreign diplomat was interested in two major issues - what sectors of Kazakhstan economy the French business could invest in and how the Customs Union's establishment would impact industry. "Foreign investors concerned themselves mostly over these issues", the French Ambassador explained.

A. Issekeshev assured J-C. Berthonnet that establishment of the Customs Union opened new horizons both for domestic business and foreign investors. "France can invest in any sector of the Kazakhstan economy. However today our country gives much attention to development of non-primary sectors, since we have set to realization of a new economic policy directed on industrial-innovative development" he said.

"The last year was marked by real breakthrough in economic relations of both countries, especially in investment sphere. In many respects it is connected with activation of our top-level contacts. The visit of the Kazakh President to France in June 2008 gave new impulse to bilateral cooperation.

The Kazakh-French business forum held in autumn 2009 in Astana with the participation of both countries presidents played an important role in strengthening the bilateral relations. The forum ended with signing of 15 documents on joint implementation of bilateral projects worth EUR 1.8 bln. Many analysts consider the results of that business forum as an economic breakthrough in the Kazakh-French relations", a press release of the Ministry reads.