Bilateral political cooperation

Kazakh-Swiss relations

General information

June 1, 1992	-	Establishment of diplomatic relations
1994	-	Opening of the Swiss Consulate, Almaty
1996	-	Opening of the Embassy of the Republic of Kazakhstan in Switzerland, Bern
1998	-	Transformation of the Swiss Consulate into the Consulate General, Almaty
2008	-	Opening of the Swiss Embassy, Astana
Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Switzerland	-	Kairat Sarzhanov (since 10/21/2022)
Swiss Ambassador to the Republic of Kazakhstan	-	Salman Bal, (from 10.05 2023)

Political cooperation

The parties maintain a stable political dialogue, including through regular meetings at the highest and high levels.

Contacts at the highest level
The First President of the Republic of Kazakhstan N.Nazarbayev
2004	-	Official visit to Switzerland
2009	-	Participation in the WEF session, meeting with Federal President Xavier Mertz
2014	-	Participation in the WEF session, meeting with Federal President Didier Burkhalter
Visits of Swiss Federal Presidents to Kazakhstan
2014	-	Didier Burkhalter, as part of a tour of Central Asia as Chairman of the OSCE
2017	-	Doris Leuthard, during the Astana – EXPO 2017 International exhibition
22/11/2019	-	Official visit of Federal President Ueli Maurer to Kazakhstan
President of the Republic of Kazakhstan K.Tokaev
18/05/2021	-	Negotiations with Federal President Guy Parmelin;
29/11/2021	-	Negotiations with Federal President Guy Parmelin during an official visit to Switzerland
High level contacts
06/09/2021	-	Official visit of the Deputy Prime Minister - Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan Mukhtar Tileuberdi to Switzerland, Federal Councilor, Head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs Ignazio Cassis
5/07/2023	-	Official visit of the Federal Councilor, Head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs to Kazakhstan, meetings with the Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan M. Nurtleu and the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan K. Tokayev
05/11/2024	-	Official visit of the Prosecutor-General B.Assylov to Switzerland, meeting with Swiss Prosecutor-General S.Blattler
Interparliamentary cooperation
2012	-	Creation of the Kazakh-Swiss Interparliamentary Friendship Group
23/10/2013	-	Visit of the Chairman of the Senate of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan K. Tokayev, Bern
18/03/2014	-	Visit of the Chairman of the Mazhilis of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan N. Nigmatullin, Geneva, Bern
August 2021	-	Visit of the Chairman of the National Council of the Swiss Parliament A. Aeby to Kazakhstan
26/03/2024	-	Official visit of the Chairman of Majilis of the Parliament E.Koshanov to Switzerland, meetings with President of the National Council E.Nussbaumer and Federal Councillor I.Cassis

 

Trade and economic cooperation

Switzerland is one of Kazakhstan's leading trade, economic and investment partners. Trade turnover for 2024 reached 1,72 billion dollars, of which 1,23 billion dollars Kazakhstani exports. Imports of medical and watch industry products from Switzerland accounted 490 million dollars. According to the National Bank of Kazakhstan, the volume of foreign direct investment from Switzerland for 3 quarters of 2024 was 480 million dollars.

According to the Kazakhstani statistics as of January 2025, 290 legal entities, branches and representative offices with Swiss participation, as well as 103 joint ventures are registered in the Republic of Kazakhstan.

11 meetings of the Intergovernmental Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation have been held (the last one in Astana on 27 June 2023). The next meeting is scheduled for the second half of 2025 in Bern. The Intergovernmental Commission is co-chaired by A. Shakkaliev, Minister of Trade and Integration of the Republic of Kazakhstan, and on the Swiss side by A. Rauber (Ambassador), Director for Bilateral Cooperation of the State Secretariat for Economic Cooperation of Switzerland.

The Business Council was established in 2012 and co-chaired by N.Sauranbayev, Chairman of the KTZ on the Kazakh side, and P.Spuhler, Head of the Stadler Rail Group, on the Swiss side. Four meetings have been held, with the fifth scheduled for the second half of 2025 in Astana.

 

Cultural and humanitarian cooperation

On May 22, 2015 the Kazakh-Swiss Institute of Tourism and Restaurant and Hotel Business was opened.

On July 12, 2021, Memorandum of cooperation was signed between KazNU named after. Al-Farabi and the University of Zurich.

On August 26, 2021, a Memorandum of Cooperation was signed between the "Information Center on Historical Sources at the R.B. Suilemenov Institute of Oriental Studies" and "Heinrich and Henri Moser Foundation".

On September 6, 2021, as part of the official visit of the Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Mukhtar Tileuberdi to Switzerland, an agreement on cooperation in the field of studying the “Heritage of the Turkic peoples of Central Asia in Switzerland” in 2022-2025 was signed between the Berne Historical Museum and the Republican Information Center for the Study of Historical Materials at the Institute of Oriental Studies named after. R.B. Suleimenov.

On November 10, 2021, a Memorandum of Cooperation was signed between the Kazakh National University of Arts in Astana and the Zurich University of the Arts.

In February 2022, the Embassy of Kazakhstan initiated the issue of a commemorative postage stamp in honor of the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Kazakhstan and Switzerland.

In November 2022, an Agreement on cooperation for research purposes was signed between NAC Kazatomprom JSC and the Swiss research institute Paul Scherrer Institute.