Berlin Eurasian Club Discusses Development of Agricultural Cooperation
NUR-SULTAN and BERLIN, 24 June 2020 – Issues pertaining to the development of bilateral cooperation in agriculture and new opportunities for German investments in Kazakhstan’s agroindustry were discussed today during the 29th session of the Berlin Eurasian Club – one of the premier Kazakh-German forums for economic and investment cooperation. The online event was organized by the Kazakh Embassy in Germany, the Investments Committee of the Kazakh Foreign Ministry in conjunction with the German Eastern Business Association (OAOEV). In light of current events, the BEC meeting also took stock of the two countries’ efforts to minimize negative economic blowback from the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as development of new post-crisis economic recovery measures.
The video conference was opened by Roman Sklyar, the Deputy Prime Minister of Kazakhstan, Uwe Feiler, Parliamentary State Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture of Germany, Oliver Hermes, Chair of the OAOEV, Almas Aidarov, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan, and Nurbek Dairbekov, Vice-Minister of Agriculture of Kazakhstan. Thematic reports were also presented by the Chairman of the Board of KazAgro, Yerbol Karashukeyev, the Director General of John Deere International, Dirk Stratmann, and the Project Manager of the German-Kazakh Agricultural Dialogue, Alexander Barnewitz.
The online discussion was joined by about 50 government officials and business representatives from Kazakhstan and Germany, including the Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Germany, Dauren Karipov, the Ambassador of Germany to Kazakhstan, Tilo Klinner, top executives from leading German agricultural companies, as well as federal and sectoral business associations.
In his introductory remarks Deputy Prime Minister Sklyar, who also heads the Governmental Working Group on German Investment Cooperation, presented the initiatives of Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to facilitate sustainable economic growth and social welfare during the pandemic.
In this context Roman Sklyar underscored the priority agro-industrial sector development as a means of attracting foreign investments into the Kazakh economy. In particular, he drew attention to the prospects of livestock breeding, including mutton, poultry, and lamb, as well as the promotion of meat exports. In view of the Kazakh government’s plans to cultivate over the next 10 years an additional 50 million hectares of pastures, he invited potential German partners to implement joint projects in this field.
For his part, Uwe Feiler presented Germany’s plans to combat the economic consequences of the pandemic during his country’s six-month presidency of the EU Council, which will begin on 1 July 2020. Germany’s priorities include the implementation of the European Green Deal, digitalization, as well as the adoption of financial aid packages to support European economies.
The German official gave a positive assessment of the pace of development seen in Kazakhstan’s agribusiness sector, as well as the quality of the country’s agricultural products, which, in his opinion, are highly attractive from an investment standpoint, both in terms of laying additional groundwork for strategic inter-governmental interaction during the crisis, as well as for German business circles interested in maintaining and developing Kazakhstan’s agricultural sector.
The Deputy Foreign Minister of Kazakhstan, Almas Aidarov, reiterated the country’s commitment to strengthening global food security and noted the important role of the agricultural sector as a potential catalyst for economic growth and social well-being. This is a significant factor for Kazakhstan, where the agricultural sector is the main source of income for almost half of the population, as well as for Germany, which uses half of its territory for farming needs.
The concluding panel discussion consisted of a fruitful exchange of opinions about current challenges in attracting investments into the agro-industrial sector. Meeting participants also considered joint steps for fast-tracking bilateral cooperation at the regional level, between Kazakhstan’s and Germany’s largest and most successful farming productions. Moreover, the speakers agreed to continue coordinating joint actions to minimize the negative effects of the pandemic on economic ties between Kazakhstan and Germany.
For reference: The Berlin Eurasian Club was established in 2012 during the official visit of the First President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev, to Germany, as an informal dialogue platform for prominent politicians, international experts, representatives of scientific, public and business circles Kazakhstan, Germany and other European countries that share the ideas and goals of Eurasianism and the State Program of the Republic of Kazakhstan "Way to Europe".
The previous 28th meeting of the Club was held on 6 December 2019 in Berlin under the chairmanship of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, within the framework of his official visit to Germany.
Following the visit, the Head of State established a Government Working Group for Interaction with German Investors, consisting of deputy heads of sectoral ministries.