Meeting of the Kazakh-Swiss Intergovernmental Commission was held in Astana

Astana, June 27, 2023 – The 11th meeting of the Kazakh-Swiss Intergovernmental Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation was held in the capital of Kazakhstan.

The Co-Chairs of the Commission, Deputy Prime Minister - Minister of Trade and Integration of Kazakhstan Serik Zhumangarin and Federal Council Delegate for Trade Agreements, Ambassador Erwin Bollinger discussed the current state and prospects of bilateral trade and economic relations. In particular, the parties discussed issues of cooperation in various industries, including veterinary medicine and subsidizing agricultural machinery, civil aviation, technical regulation and standardization, energy, science and education, intellectual property protection, digitalization, venture investments and startups.

Swiss business circles took an active part in the meeting, for example, the world leader in the field of inspection services, expertise, testing and certification company "SGS" and the company in the field of low-tonnage chemistry "Clariant" took initiatives to cooperate in the petrochemical sector and efficient production of diesel fuel. The manufacturer of cable cars, the company "Bartolet" has proposed a project in the field of tourism and transport infrastructure development in Almaty.

Switzerland is an important trading partner of Kazakhstan. Our country exports mainly energy carriers and metals to Switzerland, and Switzerland supplies chemical and pharmaceutical products and various technical equipment. Switzerland is also the third largest foreign investor in Kazakhstan, primarily in the mining and metallurgical, agricultural, chemical and pharmaceutical sectors, as well as mechanical engineering and the tobacco industry.

Following the meeting, the parties agreed to optimize bilateral cooperation, further study of open issues and the implementation of new joint investment projects.

For reference: At the end of 2022 trade turnover between Kazakhstan and Switzerland amounted to 1.4 billion dollars, the total amount of the Switzerland’s direct investments in the economy of Kazakhstan - 32.6 billion dollars.