ASTANA – The portfolio of bilateral projects between Kazakhstan and Germany now includes 63 initiatives valued at $54.4 billion, with 32 projects worth $1.1 billion already completed and 12 actively underway, said Rustam Karagoishin, deputy co-chair of the Kazakhstan-German Business Council (KGBC) and chair of Baiterek Holding during the 16th meeting of the KGBC on May 20.
Kazakh Deputy Foreign Minister Roman Vassilenko said the topics discussed were important and relevant for Kazakhstan. Photo credit: Foreign Ministry’s press service.
Opening the event, Kazakh First Deputy Prime Minister Roman Sklyar highlighted Germany’s role as a strategic partner and emphasized Kazakhstan’s ongoing efforts to improve its investment climate. He noted that Moody’s recently upgraded Kazakhstan’s credit rating to Baa1 – the highest in the country’s history – reflecting the results of consistent reforms and streamlined administrative procedures. The council meeting focused on expanding bilateral cooperation, with particular attention to financing mechanisms and the implementation of new joint projects.
Michael Harms, co-chair of the KGBC from the German side and managing director of the Eastern Committee of German Economy, underlined the importance of concrete cooperation, announcing six new joint projects in the processing industry to be presented during the meeting, reported Kazinform.
The event also saw the signing of several key documents aimed at boosting industrial collaboration and investment. These include memorandums of understanding between the Baiterek Holding and KfW Development Bank, Kazakhstan Petrochemical Industries and IMI Zimmermann & Jansen Technologies, and other agreements.
Kazakhstan and Germany enhance collaboration in dual education and water resource management
Kazakh-German cooperation in the dual education sphere and implementation of advanced technologies in the water sector was discussed at the 43rd meeting of the Berlin Eurasian Club on May 20 with over 100 officials, business leaders, and experts.
Kazakh Deputy Foreign Minister Roman Vassilenko noted that the topics brought up for discussion were important and relevant for Kazakhstan.
The first panel session, devoted to the Year of Working Professions in Kazakhstan and bilateral cooperation in the field of dual education, focused on exploring opportunities for Germany’s involvement in providing methodological support to enhance this educational model, reported the Foreign Ministry’s press service.
Vassilenko highlighted practical results of cooperation with German partners, including the International Dual Education Centre that is being established together with the Erfurt Education Centre on the basis of the Allur automobile plant in Kostanai.
“It is precisely this effect that we aim for in our joint work with international partners,” said Vassilenko.
According to Kazakh Deputy Minister of Education Yedil Ospan, the dual education has been implemented so far in 552 colleges in Kazakhstan with the participation of over 18,000 enterprises, covering over 108,000 people.
Representative of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research of Germany Alexander Hochradel expressed the ministry’s readiness to support Kazakhstan in developing dual education and bringing colleges and enterprises closer together.
The second panel session focused on the effective management of water resources. In the context of global climate change, this topic has become increasingly vital for the security and sustainable development of Central Asia.
German companies and experts have advanced technologies and unique experience in the water sector and can make a significant contribution to the modernization of water infrastructure and implementation of engineering projects in Kazakhstan. For instance, cooperation is being promoted with the German Water Partnership that is the biggest German sectoral association, uniting over 300 companies from various waterworks sectors.
Since 2012, the Berlin Eurasian Club meets annually three times a year in Astana (May), Brussels (October) and Berlin (December). The club’s work is aimed at promoting regular engagement among politicians, experts, businessmen and scholars of the two countries with a view to exchange experience and develop recommendations.
