Director for International Cooperation of the European Commission Cristina Russo visited Astana (PHOTO)
Mrs Russo had a number of bilateral meetings with the high-level officials of Kazakhstan, in particular, Cristina Russo had met with Minister for Investment and Development Mr Asset Issekeshev, Minister of Energy Mr Vladimir Shkolnik, First Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr Rapil Zhoshybayev and Vice-Minister of Education and Science Mr Takir Balykbayev.
At the meeting with Minister for Investment and Development Mr Asset Issekeshev, Mrs Russo underlined: "The EU-Kazakhstan Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (EPCA), initialled on 20 January 2015, will greatly facilitate stronger bilateral political, economic and strategic relations. We look forward in using this new agreement to enhance our cooperation, including in the areas of research and innovation. In this regard, we encourage Kazakhstan's active participation in the "Horizon 2020" programme, the EU main tool in promoting closer cooperation in the field of research, innovation and energy."
The visit offered the opportunity to stress upon to the new Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement, particularly on the chapters dedicated to the cooperation between the EU and Kazakhstan in the field of research and innovation, energy and renewable energy. Kazakhstani officials underlined the importance attached to the new EPCA in the view of Kazakhstan's plans on strengthening the national economy. Parties also discussed topics related to the potential participation of Kazakhstan in the SESAME infrastructure.
To exchange views on the cooperation between the EU and Kazakhstan in the field of energy and renewable energy, Mrs Russo had met with Minister of Energy Mr Vladimir Shkolnik. " The main purpose of my visit is to express the importance given by the EU to the enhanced partnership and cooperation and underline our fruitful relations with Kazakhstan, and the role of research and innovation collaboration, in particular in the field of Energy, in building constructive relations in the future,"- said Cristina Russo. There is also the growing importance of Kazakhstan as a major energy supplier for the EU. Kazakhstan supplies around 5-6% of the EU oil demand and meets more than 21% of the EU uranium demand.
In the framework of her visit, she took part in the 2nd Policy Stakeholders Conference of IncoNet CA "EU - Central Asia Cooperation in Addressing Energy Research and Innovation" and the workshop "The European Union - Kazakhstan: innovation through collaboration". Parties agreed to further develop substantive cooperation within the framework of the "Horizon 2020".
Background information Maria Cristina Russo is the Director for International Cooperation in DG Research and Innovation since July 2013. She is responsible for promoting research and innovation cooperation with international partners in order to: strengthen the EU's scientific excellence and attractiveness; foster its industrial competitiveness; tackle global societal challenges; and support the EU's external policies, including trade, development and enlargement. Maria Cristina studied Political Sciences at the Luiss University of Rome and has a Master's Degree in European Studies and a Research Master's from the College of Bruges.
EU cooperation with Kazakhstan's researchers was established more than 20 years ago. Only in the framework of the previous programme - FP7, 28 scientists took part in the joint projects. The INCONET CA and NCP promote collaboration with Kazakhstan. The project specifically looks at opportunities for collaboration in the areas of Climate Change, energy and Health. The European Union committed to continue its support to the ISTC, which recently moved to Astana. The ISTC is an international organisation also in the future with enlarged geographical scope dealing with projects on migration of Chemical, Biological and Nuclear Risks. The EU and Kazakhstan have two EUROATOM agreements on cooperation in the area of "nuclear safety" and "controlled nuclear fusion". The EU cooperation with Kazakhstan on science and innovation is based on the EU's strategy for international cooperation in research and innovation, which was adopted in September 2012. The Horison-2020 is the latest EU Framework Programme for research and innovation, launched in 2013 with a total budget of around 80 billion euro. The programme is based on key pillars as scientific excellence, industrial leadership and tackling social challenges.
The EU-Kazakhstan Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement was initialled in Brussels on 20 January 2015. This agreement will greatly facilitate stronger political and economic relations between Kazakhstan and the EU. It will increase the flow of trade, services and investment between the parties and will contribute to Kazakhstan's political and social development. The initialling of the Agreement is an important step towards its eventual signature and subsequent implementation. Kazakhstan is the first Central Asian partner to have concluded an Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement with the EU. The new Agreement will replace the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement in force since 1999, and will give EU - Kazakhstan relations a new up-to-date and stronger foundation. Over the past decades, the EU has become Kazakhstan's first trading partner and first foreign investor, representing over half of total FDI in Kazakhstan.
