Kazakh-Australian relations
Kazakhstan and Australia established diplomatic relations on June 22, 1992. The Australian Embassy operated in Kazakhstan from 1995 to 1999.
The Consulate of Kazakhstan in Australia operated from 1996 to 2003.
Starting from November 2009, Jason Stirbinskis, Managing Director of Drake Resources was appointed the Honorary Consul of the Republic of Kazakhstan in Perth, Western Australia.
On August 6, 2014, Andrew Fernyhough, President of Australasia Pacific Pty Ltd was appointed the Honorary Consul of the Republic of Kazakhstan in Melbourne.
On November 18, 2014, the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan signed a Decree on the opening of the Consulate General of the Republic of Kazakhstan in Sydney.
Since May 26, 2019, the Consul General of the Republic of Kazakhstan in Sydney is Marat Kalizhanov.
On June 28, 2019, Graeme Meehan was concurrently appointed as the Ambassador of Australia to the Russian Federation and to the Republic of Kazakhstan.
Political cooperation
In December 1996, the first official visit of the President of Kazakhstan,
N. Nazarbayev to Australia took place, laying the foundations of a political dialogue and setting priorities for bilateral cooperation.
The first bilateral political contacts between the countries were established during the visit of the Prime Minister of Kazakhstan, S. Tereshchenko to Canberra in July 1993, as well as the visit of the Governor-General of Australia B. Heyden to Kazakhstan in April 1994.
On December 1-2, 2010, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Australia,
K. Rudd, participated in the OSCE Summit in Astana. In June 2011, Minister of Foreign Affairs K. Rudd visited Astana to participate in the 38th Ministerial Council of the OIC.
In August 2012, members of the Australian Parliament, C. Dowd, G. Jenkins, and G. Evans took part in the International Conference “From the Prohibition of Nuclear Tests - to a World Free of Nuclear Weapons”.
In April 2012, during the first inter-ministerial consultations in Astana participants discussed issues of bilateral relations of mutual interest.
On September 1, 2014, in Samoa, within the framework of the UN Conference on Small Island Developing States, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan, E. Idrisov had a bilateral meeting with the Head of the Foreign Ministry of Australia G.Beshop.
On March 27-28, 2015, within the framework of the Boao Forum for Asia (PRC), Prime Minister of Kazakhstan K. Massimov held a bilateral meeting with the former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Australia, director of the Institute of Australian-Chinese Cooperation Bob Carr.
On June 24-25, 2015 in Canberra, the Kazakh-Australian political consultations at the senior officials level of the foreign ministries of the two countries were held.
On April 8-13, 2016, the Commissioner of “EXPO-2017” R. Zhoshybaev visited Australia in order to strengthen bilateral cooperation and promote the exhibition.
On November 6-11, 2016, the delegation of the Ministry of Investments and Development of Kazakhstan (MID), headed by the Chairman of the Committee on Geology and Subsoil Use A. Nadyrbaev visited Australia to take a part in International Mining and Resources Conference.
On February 28, 2017 in the frames the annual UN session on human rights in Geneva, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan K. Abdrakhmanov had a meeting with the Minister for International Development and Pacific Affairs of Australia, K. Fierravanti-Wells.
On May 26, 2017, the next Kazakh-Australian political consultations at the senior officials level of the foreign ministries were held in Astana.
On April 14, 2021, another round of political consultations between the Foreign ministries of Kazakhstan and Australia took place online. The parties discussed the current state and prospects for expanding Kazakh-Australian cooperation in the political, trade, economic, cultural and humanitarian spheres, emphasizing the positive dynamics of interaction that have emerged in recent years.
On October 16, 2022, Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation of the Republic of Kazakhstan N.Nurzhigitov met with representatives of the Australian company Rubicon Water, engaged in digitalization of irrigation systems. The parties discussed the possibility of launching a joint project in the Kyzylorda region.
From December 5-8, 2023, a Kazakh delegation headed by Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan S.Zhumangarin visited Australia to study advanced methods of animal husbandry. It included representatives of agribusiness, the Ministry of Agriculture, as well as the leadership of the Akimats (government services of the municipality) of Turkestan, Kostanay, Almaty and Zhetysu regions.
Trade and economic cooperation
According to the Bureau of National Statistics, the total trade turnover between Kazakhstan and Australia for 2023 amounted to 96.3 million USD, including exports - 9.2 million USD, imports - 87.1 million USD.
In the period from 2005-2023 the inflow of foreign direct investment in Kazakhstan amounted to 51.5 million USD.
The main export goods are sulfates, alum, chromium trioxide, zinc, ferroalloys, ferrous metal products, natural sand, power plants, etc. Imports from Australia consisted of mining equipment (frontal single-bucket loaders, dump trucks, wheel tires, sorting equipment, jacks, lifts, loaders), pumps, axial fans, braking devices, hearing aids, medical devices, milk fats, etc.
There are 42 legal entities, branches and representative offices in Kazakhstan with Australian participation.
There are Australian large mining companies such as «RioTinto», «Iluka Resources», «ALS Minerals», «Orica-Kazakhstan» and «Kazakhstan Potash Corporation», «Austmine» which are successfully operating in Kazakhstan.