Kazakh delegation takes part in EU-CA Connectivity Conference in Samarkand
The keynote speakers were EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy – Vice-President of the European Commission Josep Borrell, foreign ministers of Central Asian countries, as well as high-ranking representatives of international financial institutions – EBRD President Odile Renaut-Basso and Vice-President of the European Investment Bank Teresa Czerwinska.
The purpose of the conference is to develop intra- and inter-regional dialogue to achieve sustainable communication in line with the European Global Gateway Strategy, which was launched on December 1, 2021, as well as to present Team Europe cooperation initiatives on Central Asia.
During the event, the delegations discussed topical issues of cooperation in the areas of transport routes diversification, digitalization, as well as green energy development.
In his speech, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Tileuberdi noted the statement of the President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev about his intention to attract investments worth 20 billion US dollars by 2025 to increase the diversification of transit and transportation routes, including the introduction of integrated logistics solutions.
«In 2022, container shipments between China and the EU through Kazakhstan increased by 84%, and Kazakhstan's own exports grew 3.6 times,» Tleuberdi said.
The event also included separate panel sessions on three topics on the conference agenda. Minister of Industry and Infrastructure Development of Kazakhstan Kairbek Uskenbayev participated in the panel session on transport interconnectivity.
At the same time, on the sidelines of the conference, the Kazakh Foreign Minister held a series of separate bilateral meetings with the Foreign Minister of Uzbekistan Vladimir Norov, Parliamentary State Secretary of the Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development of Germany Niels Annen and OSCE Secretary General Helga Schmid.
At the talks, the current situation and prospects for further development of bilateral cooperation in political, trade, economic and investment spheres, as well as interaction in a multilateral format were discussed. The interlocutors emphasized the relevance of strengthening interconnectivity and the need to deepen the dialogue of Central Asian countries with European partners.
The Kazakh delegation also took part in the business forum. During the discussions, the leaders of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the European Investment Bank confirmed further interest in financing projects in Kazakhstan and Central Asian countries in such sectors as green energy, transport and logistics, digitalization, ecology and environmental protection.
Photo: gov.kz
