Kazakhstan’s Participation in the Global Forum for Food and Agriculture: New Horizons for Cooperation

Berlin, January 16, 2026 – A delegation of the Republic of Kazakhstan, headed by Minister of Trade and Integration Arman Shakkaliyev, visited Germany to take part in the International Conference Global Forum for Food and Agriculture (GFFA) and in ceremonial events marking the 100th anniversary of the international exhibition Green Week (Grüne Woche), one of the world’s largest agricultural fairs.

During the visit, Minister A.Shakkaliyev held bilateral talks with Germany’s Federal Minister of Food and Agriculture and Regional Identity Alois Rainer, State Secretary at the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy Thomas Steffen, Executive Director of the Eastern Committee of the German Economy Michael Harms, as well as WTO Deputy Director-General Jean-Marie Paugam.

Parties discussed the current state and prospects of trade and economic cooperation, issues related to sustainable food systems, market access, and trade development.

Main attention was paid to the need for further development of transport and logistics connectivity to strengthen supply chains, as well as to the importance of coordinated interaction to enhance their security and reliability.

Kazakh side expressed its readiness to further expand the range and volumes of products exported to the German market.

Moreover, the head of the Kazakh delegation took part in a high-level ceremonial reception hosted on behalf of the Federal Minister of Food and Agriculture of Germany, attended by representatives of governments, international organizations, and leading agricultural companies.

Special emphasis was placed on the development of agriculture as one of the key sectors of trade and economic cooperation between Kazakhstan and Germany.

According to Kazakhstan’s statistics, in January–November 2025 bilateral trade turnover reached USD 3.91 billion, while Kazakhstan’s exports to Germany increased by 7.9% to USD 1.17 billion. These figures confirm the high level of confidence of the German market in Kazakh suppliers and the presence of significant commercial potential for further expansion of cooperation.

The visit marked an important step in strengthening bilateral dialogue and opened new opportunities for deepening partnership between Kazakhstan and Germany in the agriculture and food sectors.