Kazakh, German MPs hold online dialogue
MPs from both countries engaged in an exchange of views and legislative experience on issues pertaining to the strengthening of bilateral political and economic cooperation, and reached a common conclusion concerning the paramount importance of the parliamentary dimension vis-à-vis Kazakh-German relations.
Kazakhstan’s delegation was represented by Mr. Albert Rau, Chair of the Mazhilis’ Economic Reforms and Regional Development Committee and head of the interparliamentary cooperation group for Germany, Ms. Aigul Kuspan, the Chair of the Foreign Affairs, Defense and Security Committee, and other members of specialized standing committees.
The German side was represented by Mr. Mandfred Grund, Bundestag Deputy and the chair of the «Germany-Central Asia» parliamentary group, and his deputies from the German political fractions in the legislative branch.
Speaking at the opening of the interparliamentary dialogue, Mr. Rau thanked his German counterparts for supporting and fostering Kazakh-German cooperation. In particular, he noted the continuation of positive dynamics in the political contacts and economic activities between the two countries, in spite of the coronavirus pandemic, and underscored the strategic nature of Kazakh-German relations.
For his part, Mr. Grund noted Kazakhstan’s leading regional role and Germany’s growing interest in Central Asia. Moreover, he remarked highly of the measures taken by the Kazakh Government to stabilize the nation’s healthcare system and improve the epidemiological situation during peak periods of the pandemic.
During the videoconference, the Kazakh elected officials briefed their German colleagues about our country’s key achievements during 30 years of independence and the government’s plans to leverage its success to raise Nur-Sultan’s status as a reliable partner for Germany and the international community. The sides also discussed the state and prospects of the continued development of Kazakhstan’s statehood within the context of political, economic, and social reforms initiated by the Head of State.
Items on the agenda also included bilateral cooperation in the renewable energy sphere and economic decarbonization, as well as closer ties in the agricultural sector, which is opening up new opportunities for joint investments and ensuring the food security of Kazakhstan and Germany.
Established in 1999, the German Bundestag’s «Germany-Central Asia» parliamentary group seeks to maintain contacts with parliamentarians from the five Central Asian countries and Mongolia. Today, the parliamentary group includes members from all fractions represented in the Bundestag, however its activities are non-partisan. A similar group, focused on Kazakh-German inter-parliamentary interaction, was established in the Mazhilis of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan in 2008.