About 4th Meeting of the Subcommittee on Customs Cooperation between the Republic of Kazakhstan and the European Union

On 23 November 2020, the 4th virtual meeting of the Subcommittee on Customs cooperation between the Republic of Kazakhstan and the European Union, a body established in accordance with the Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement between the Republic of Kazakhstan and the European Union of 2015, was held.

The European Union is a key trade and investment partner of the Republic of Kazakhstan. It annually accounts for 30 to 50 % of Kazakhstan's foreign trade turnover and attracted foreign capital to the economy of our country. For five months of 2020, the bilateral trade turnover amounted to 11.6 billion USD, i.e. 33.2% of the total trade turnover of Kazakhstan. The largest trading partners of Kazakhstan are Italy, the Netherlands, France and Greece.

The meeting discussed such important cooperation topics as trade facilitation, promotion of freedom of transit, implementation of international customs and trade standards, law enforcement activities, including those related to the fight against drug trafficking and tobacco smuggling.  

The parties also discussed new opportunities for customs cooperation in light of the new EU Strategy on Central Asia adopted last year to ensure connectivity between Europe and Asia. Effective use of the Strategy's potential will contribute to improving the economic well-being of citizens, creating jobs and ensuring the security of the supply chain between Europe and Asia.

Over the four-year period, the Subcommittee has established itself as an effective intergovernmental platform and has become an important institution for interaction between Customs services and other state bodies of our countries. The parties agreed to develop cooperation further within the framework of the Subcommittee.