Askar Mamin, Bruno Le Maire discuss prospects in trade, economic and investment coop
The sides discussed the current issues and prospects in trade, economic and investment cooperation between Kazakhstan and France.
«France is a key trade and economic partner of Kazakhstan in the European Union,» said Askar Mamin, noting the importance of implementing the trade and economic agenda outlined by the First President – Elbasy Nursultan Nazarbayev and French President Emmanuel Macron in Brussels at the ASEM Summit in October 2018.
France is among the top five investors in Kazakhstan’s economy. From 2005 to 2018, the volume of French investments in the economy of Kazakhstan exceeded $15 billion. In 2018, trade turnover grew by 32.5% and reached $4.5 billion.
Kazakh-French joint ventures are successfully functioning today in various sectors – transport engineering, manufacture of building materials, medicines and food stuffs. The two countries are implementing joint projects in energy, space, renewable energy, infrastructure development and Smart City.
More than 130 enterprises with the participation of French capital, including Total, Orano, Danone, Vikat, Peugeot, Alstom, are operating in Kazakhstan to date.
The Kazakh PM expressed interest in further development of investment cooperation, in implementation of joint projects in transport infrastructure, digital technologies and human capital.
«We have a huge potential in agriculture. The joint projects launched together with Danone, Lactalis and Soufllet can be named our «success stories.» Kazakhstan is a promising place for doing business in terms of eco-friendly production and accession to the EAEU and Chinese markets,» said Askar Mamin.
French investors will be provided all-round assistance in setting up joint ventures, replacing imports and further exporting agro-industrial products, he added.
«Kazakhstan is the leading partner of France in Central Asia,» said Bruno Le Maire, reiterating his country’s readiness to continue the strategic cooperation initiated by the First President – Elbasy Nursultan Nazarbayev and confirmed by French President Emmanuel Macron.
Bruno Le Maire believes that Kazakhstan and France have all the opportunities to move to a new level of cooperation.
Askar Mamin and Bruno Le Maire also attended the signing ceremony of a memorandum of cooperation on joint investment between Samruk-Kazyna Sovereign Welfare Fund and Bpifrance Investment Company. The Kazakh Ministry of Energy, KazMunaiGas National Company and Total also signed a memorandum of cooperation in digital technologies.
