Germany is interested in using Kazakhstan’s transit potential. This was announced at the 11th meeting of the Kazakh-German intergovernmental working group on trade and economic cooperation. The meeting participants discussed cooperation in the field of logistics, energy, environmental protection and agriculture, as well as partnerships within the work of the OECD committees. Germany is planning to develop a number of projects aimed at diversification of energy supply, as well as manufacturing of oil equipment in Kazakhstan.

ECKHARD FRANZ, HEAD OF EXTERNAL ECONOMIC POLICY, GERMAN MINISTRY FOR ECONOMY AND ENERGY:
- We intend to cooperate with Kazakhstan in the field of green energy. This is especially important in the framework of the EXPO 2017. Secondly, we are interested in manufacturing industries. Today, your country is diversifying its economy, and we see huge opportunities here. There are also talks on infrastructure, logistics and creation of industrial facilities. One of the end-points of the Silk Road is the port in Duisburg. This is a river port, where the long route of goods from China to Europe ends.

A Kazakh-German business council took place in Astana. Its main result was the signing of more than 20 commercial agreements for a total of about one billion dollars. The agreements concern cooperation in engineering, energy saving and manufacturing, and also envisage creation of joint ventures, exchange of innovative technologies.

ZHENIS KASSYMBEK, KAZAKH MINISTER OF INVESTMENTS AND DEVELOPMENT:
- Regarding the construction industry, there is HeidelbergCement. Cooperation in Energy saving with DENA is being arranged. Industrial development program, digitalization of basic industries will be implemented in cooperation with FranKofera Institute. Regarding the alternative energy, today, the Energy Minister signed agreements with Siemens.
We have a number of projects in digitalization of energy sector. We see the interest of the German investors to work in Kazakhstan

During the meetings of the business council, an agreement was signed providing for an establishment of Kazakh-German educational and innovation centers, with a training capacity of 250 people per year.

MARAT OMAROV, CHAIRMAN, NATIONAL AGENCY FOR TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT:
- This agreement will allow us to prepare our personnel for the fourth Industrial Development. Faculty of the Nazarbayev University, KBTU will study at this center and we will also have production modules on its site. This is a model of dual training. There will be a possibility to train people and make production modules in the same facility. The German side is now completing an analysis, which will determine the list of the disciplines.

In the past 12 years Germany has invested more than 4 billion dollars in Kazakhstan, including the republic’s processing industries.