Kazakhstan-German cooperation set to expand
The national delegation attended the Conference as part of their three-day visit to Germany running from April 23. Over 500 representatives of Germany's social, political and business circles, as well as the diplomatic corps accredited in Berlin, attended the Conference. Presentations were made by Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel, members of the Parliament, heads of major companies and industrial associations.
In his statement, Serik Akhmetov highlighted that trade, economic, and investment relations between Kazakhstan and Germany are experiencing rapid growth, the Kazakh MFA's press service said.
"We are positive about prospects of our cooperation. Our countries have everything that is needed to raise bilateral economic relations to a higher level. I believe that the active and fruitful participation of German businesses in Kazakhstan's market will contribute significantly to our economy and provide a new impetus for further development of relations between our countries," Akhmetov said.
Germany has taken the path of creating a long-term cooperation with Kazakhstan in technological and primary sectors, Angela Merkel said at the Conference. In addition, Germany is ready to take part in the modernization of Kazakhstan's economy, she noted.
As a result of the Conference, an updated German Resource Strategy has been adopted, which, among other things, is aimed at strengthening industrial and technological partnership with Kazakhstan.
On April 23, Kazakhstan's delegation attended the Hannover Messe exhibition. The world's greatest industrial fair presented major achievements in industrial and innovative fields.
The delegation held bilateral talks with heads of leading German and European companies that showcased projects realizable in Kazakhstan. These included plans on creating a national measuring instruments registration and calibration system, introducing petroleum products quality management system, developing construction cluster, and other. The Kazakhstan side, in turn, described investment opportunities at home, as well as the main objectives of the State Programme for Accelerated Industrial and Innovative Development (PAIID).
The next day, the governmental delegation visited the city of Magdeburg, where they went to the Müller-Altvatter GmbH house building factory and B.T. innovation GmbH to talk about possible cooperation in the use of modern equipment and high technologies in for building affordable housing in Kazakhstan. Akhmetov also met with Minister-President of the federal state of Saxony-Anhalt Reiner Haseloff.
In the afternoon, the Kazakhstan delegation visited the glass factory of Euroglas GmbH. The parties discussed the issue of building the first sheet glass factory in Kazakhstan in cooperation with DTEC Engineering. To date, Kazakhstan imports 100 percent of this material from abroad.
The same day, the delegation met with the management of the Fraunhofer Institute. The sides discussed bilateral cooperation between the Institute and Kazakhstan's Industry Development Institute, National Innovation Fund, Astana Innovations JSC, Zerde JSC, and the Nazarbayev University.
In order to conduct further applied research and develop new industrial technologies the Institute expressed readiness to open its representative office in Astana in the near future.
The Fraunhofer Society is a research organisation with 60 institutes spread throughout Germany, each focusing on different fields of applied science
The delegation also took part in the first session of the Berlin Eurasian Club (BEC). The Club was opened on February 7, 2012, during Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev's visit to Germany, designed to become the first dialogue platform to discuss a wide range of social and political issues between Kazakhstan, Germany, and the European Union.
Speaking on behalf of the German Government, Foreign Ministry's Commissioner for Cooperation with Eastern Europe, Caucasus, and Central Asia, Patricia Flor, highlighted the political importance and the strategic role of the BEC in the process of mutual rapprochement of the two states and of the entire region. According to her, the Club meets the aspirations of the international community to achieve qualitatively new approaches in analytical work and pay more attention to forecasting and modeling political processes in the world, especially in Eurasia.
On April 25, Kazakhstan's delegation held talks with Executive Director of the Committee on Eastern European Economic Relations Professor Rainer Lindner in Berlin. The sides discussed issues of cooperation in attracting German investments and advanced technologies, as well as the establishment of modern industrial production in Kazakhstan.
The Kazakhstan delegation also visited the Siemens Company's gas-turbine unit production plant. Siemens is currently in the process of transferring technology of assembling gas turbine units to the Kazakh KazTurboRemont Company.