Kazakhstan-German Business Council - a Driver of Economic Cooperation
The 14th meeting of the Kazakh-German Business Council "New Kazakhstan - New Opportunities for Cooperation" took place in Astana. The event, organized by the Atameken National Chamber of Entrepreneurs with the support of “National Company “KAZAKH INVEST” JSC brought together over 100 participants.
The meeting of the Business Council was attended by Ambassador of the Republic of Kazakhstan to Germany Nurlan Onzhanov, Member of the Senate of the Parliament of Kazakhstan, Board Member of the Kazakhstan-German Business Council Evgeny Bolgert, Vice Minister of Industry and Infrastructure Development of Kazakhstan Ilyas Ospanov, Vice Minister of Energy Zhandos Nurmagambetov. From the German side, there were present Professor Manfred Grundke, Speaker for Central Asia at the Eastern Committee of German Economy, and Dr. Joachim Lang, the main shareholder and managing partner of Strategic Minds Company / Berlin Advisors Group, among others.
The Kazakhstan-German Business Council for strategic cooperation is the main body that provides practical coordination and advisory support to bilateral trade and economic cooperation between companies, enterprises, and business associations in Kazakhstan and Germany. The Business Council was established in July 2010 based on the Memorandum between the two countries on the establishment of the Kazakhstan-German Business Council for strategic cooperation, signed during the official visit of Chancellor Angela Merkel to Kazakhstan.
Two co-chairs delivered welcome speeches, with Raimbek Batalov, Chairman of the Presidium of Atameken National Chamber of Entrepreneurs, representing the Kazakh side, and Nico Warbanoff, Chairman of the Board of DB Engineering & Consulting, representing the German side. According to the speakers, Kazakhstan and Germany are key partners for each other. The Business Council, composed of leading companies from both countries, is considered an effective platform and a powerful driving force for the development of investment cooperation and the increase of trade between the two countries.
The Ambassador of the Republic of Kazakhstan to Germany, Nurlan Onzhanov, informed the participants of the meeting about the increase in economic contacts between Kazakhstan and Germany and voiced a number of specific proposals aimed at further expanding bilateral business relations and stimulating the foreign trade activities of businesses in both countries.
Ilyas Ospanov, Vice Minister of Industry and Infrastructure Development of Kazakhstan, mentioned during the meeting that there is great interest among German companies in cooperating with Kazakhstan, as observed during visits to regions in Germany. He emphasized that the economic relations between the two countries have enormous potential for development.
Discussions on the development of cooperation between the countries took place within the framework of the meeting of the Kazakhstan-German Business Council for strategic cooperation. Several key areas were discussed, including prospects for collaboration in agriculture, energy and energy efficiency, transportation and logistics, as well as the field of skilled workforce development. The discussions resulted in a number of specific proposals and recommendations to strengthen cooperation in each of the mentioned areas.
