Munich, Federal Republic of Germany
The official visit of President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to the Federal Republic of Germany concluded with his participation in the Kazakhstan-Bavaria Technology Forum, which brought together business, industrial and technology leaders.
Addressing the participants, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev described Bavaria as a truly remarkable region where technological progress and outstanding industrial excellence go hand in hand with a rich cultural heritage, strong traditions and a remarkable spirit of innovation.
“German business enjoys a strong reputation in our country for its quality, reliability and technological excellence. Today, we have every opportunity to further strengthen our economic ties. Bavaria has a special place in this regard as one of Europe’s leading industrial regions and a globally recognized center of engineering and technology. For our people, ‘Made in Germany’ has always stood for quality and reliability. This is why I considered it important to come to Munich in person to engage directly with Bavaria’s political and business leaders,” the President said.
As the Head of State noted, Bavaria is Kazakhstan’s one of key trading partners among Germany’s federal states.
“Kazakhstan’s main exports include oil, ferroalloys, steel, iron, copper, aluminum, inorganic chemicals, oilseeds, grain and etc,” Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said.
The President highlighted the strong presence in Kazakhstan of leading Bavarian companies, including Siemens, Siemens Energy, Knauf, Horsch and others.
According to the Head of State, the next stage in the development of Kazakhstan-Germany economic relations should focus on advanced technologies, high-tech production and joint access to new markets.
The President briefed the heads of Bavarian companies on the consistent improvement of conditions for investors. In particular, he informed the forum participants about the work of the Investment Headquarters at the level of the Government and the Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC).
Kassym-Jomart Tokayev then outlined the key areas of mutually beneficial partnership.
“Kazakhstan is expanding production in mechanical engineering, metallurgy, electrical equipment and industrial components. At the same time, further gains in productivity will increasingly depend on automation, robotics and digital control. Companies such as Siemens and KUKA are global leaders in industrial automation, robotics and advanced manufacturing. Major Kazakh enterprises (Qarmet) can provide stable demand and reliable industrial partnerships. Our ambition can be expressed in a simple formula: products made in Kazakhstan with Bavarian technology and German quality,’” he said.
The President identified critical materials as another area of partnership.
“As German industry seeks to secure and diversify its sources of these essential materials, Kazakhstan stands ready to become a reliable, long-term partner, supplying copper, titanium, aluminum, beryllium, tantalum and niobium,” the Head of State noted.
Kassym-Jomart Tokayev also highlighted the prospects for cooperation in microelectronics manufacturing.
“Bavaria has built one of Europe’s leading semiconductor and microelectronics ecosystems, bringing together internationally recognized companies such as Infineon Technologies, Siltronic, Rohde & Schwarz. For Kazakhstan, a realistic starting point is not large-scale chip manufacturing, but those parts of the value chain that directly support our industrial development. Energy, mining, metallurgy, transport and manufacturing increasingly depend on power electronics, sensors, measurement systems and sophisticated automated controls. In this regard, I suggest to launch a special partnership program with the Bavarian Chips Alliance, bringing together relevant Kazakh companies, research institutions and development organizations with Bavaria’s semiconductor ecosystem,” the President said.
According to the Head of State, reliable transport and logistics connectivity is essential for bringing new production facilities to international markets. In this regard, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev proposed that Bavarian businesses jointly develop industrial and logistics hubs along the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route.
The President drew the attention of representatives of Bavaria’s business community to the significant potential of Kazakhstan’s agro-industrial sector.
Taking into account Bavaria’s advanced expertise in agricultural machinery, precision farming, water-saving technologies and food processing, he proposed launching a Kazakhstan-Bavaria model farms focused on producing and processing high-quality agricultural products in line with European standards.
Kassym-Jomart Tokayev also presented the Alatau City project in Munich as a unique platform for business, investment and innovation. Bavarian companies could use Alatau City to establish engineering and service operations, demonstrate their solutions, identify local partners and implement investment projects.
According to the President, the success of all these projects depends on qualified personnel. In this regard, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev expressed Kazakhstan’s interest in drawing on Bavaria’s experience with the dual vocational education system. He stressed that professional training and the development of engineering skills could become an integral part of major industrial projects implemented by Bavarian companies in Kazakhstan.
In conclusion, the Head of State proposed establishing a Representative Office of Bavarian business in Almaty, which could serve the interests of German companies both in Kazakhstan and across Central Asia.
