Astana, 1. August 2024
Check against delivery!
Thank you my dear [Deputy Prime] Minister [of Foreign Affairs, Murat Nurtleu], thank you my friend.
This is my second official visit to Kazakhstan – but along these 5 years, we have had a very dynamic interaction between the European Union and Kazakhstan.
As my mandate representing European Union will end in three months, it was important for me to come here to Astana to reaffirm our strong interest and commitment to strengthen [our] cooperation with Central Asia as a whole, and with Kazakhstan, the biggest country in the region in particular.
Many thanks for your continued hospitality, in particular for this meeting today.
I said many times – and it is completely true that we have to develop our ties – for our common benefit, for the benefit of regional prosperity and for international stability.
Kazakhstan has a strategic geographical position; it is a great bridge between Europe and Asia.
Under the leadership of President [Kassym-Jomart] Tokayev, Kazakhstan has embarked on a path of wide-ranging political and economic reforms, that we support. We support this path to modernisation, where economic and political reforms should go hand in hand.
Promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms are key to [an] open, democratic and inclusive society.
This will increase the capacity of Kazakhstan to defend its independence, sovereignty and the ability to choose its own future.
We have been talking with you, Minister, today, and many other times during the past 5 years that we are living in times of high geopolitical instability.
Challenging events face us: from Russia’s aggression against the Ukraine to the destabilising effects of the Middle East war.
This war against Ukraine represents for us an existential threat, and we consider it a blatant violation of the key principles of international law. But it is not only that. We have to be worried, concerned and engaged in trying to stop the tragedy unfolding in Gaza with growing risk of regional spillover. And the last events that we have seen with several people being killed, certainly do not contribute to the way to de-escalate the tension in the region.
We have a shared interest in defending the United Nations Charter. We highly appreciate Kazakhstan’s principled support to this Charter and your commitment to international law. And we appreciate your efforts in order to reach an end to this war, using all your capacity on this side.
We encourage you to take further steps in order to make this war reach an end, and to use your influence for that.
Going to bilateral issues, when I started my mandate, the EU-Kazakhstan Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement had not yet fully entered into force.
Now – almost five years later – its implementation is in full swing, and it is clear that it is delivering benefits for businesses and citizens on both sides.
We are your first trade partner – we represent more than one-third of all your exports -, and we are the biggest investor in the country. And that is a great thing. We are the biggest investor, and we buy one-third of your production; it is a very good economic interlink.
We have to improve our business climate, so that the companies can take full advantage of the new economic cooperation possibilities.
Kazakhstan was the first in the region to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with the European Union on Critical Raw Materials. And Critical Raw Materials will be something that will resonate in the future. Oil built the civilisation in which we are living, and raw materials will build the following civilisation.
Diversification and resilience of our supply chains is something mutually beneficial. Therefore, we welcome you to request to become a member of the recently launched Mineral Security Partnership Forum.
Connectivity is another key word. Connectivity is an area of mutual interest. Upcoming investments will enhance land connectivity by supporting the [development of] Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor.
The Horizontal Aviation Agreement, which is almost ready to be installed, will boost air connectivity between the European Union and Kazakhstan, and it will be easier for me to visit you, and for you to visit me, and Europeans will have more facilities to come and to visit your beautiful country.
We are also moving forward with the implementation of the Team Europe initiative on Digital Satellite connectivity, which will represent for us an investment of €20 million. This will require a new regulatory framework, but this will provide safer satellite connectivity.
Then, there is the issue of water, energy, climate change, sustainable water resources, transboundary water governance.
It brings together over €700 million in planned projects from the European Union, in order to invest in these very critical aspects.
Last but not least: people-to-people. People’s contacts and mobility are expanding. Our Schengen consulates in Kazakhstan, last year, processed a record number of 160,000 visa applications.
All that shows how dynamic our relationship is. These are good and concrete examples of mutual benefits of our growing bilateral cooperation. My main message today, my dear friend, is that we, the European Union, remain committed to maintain this positive momentum and continuing strengthening our relations further with a more positive and continuous dynamic for the benefit of our people and the whole region.
Thank you.
Link to the video (starting at 6:38): https://audiovisual.ec.europa.eu/en/video/I-259908
Source – EEAS