What Tokayev spoke about at the Central Asia-European Union summit

Tengrinews.kz - Kassym-Jomart Tokayev spoke at the Central Asia-European Union summit, which is taking place in Samarkand, according to Akorda.

At the beginning of his speech, the Head of State thanked the President of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, for the hospitality and high level of organization of the summit. He also expressed gratitude to the President of the European Council, Antonio Costa, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and the heads of state of Central Asia for their continued commitment to strengthening multifaceted cooperation.

The President of Kazakhstan is convinced that in the context of rapid geopolitical changes and global challenges, the expansion of interregional partnership is acquiring particular relevance and strategic importance.

Kassym-Jomart Tokayev presented to the summit participants his vision of a promising agenda for interaction between Central Asia and the European Union.

The Head of State believes that priority attention should be given to strengthening trade and economic ties. According to him, Kazakhstan is ready to increase exports to the EU on 175 commodity items worth more than 2 billion dollars.

To finance such projects, the President called on European companies to use the platform of the Astana International Financial Center.

Another important area of ​​cooperation was named in the speech as energy.

"Kazakhstan remains a reliable supplier of hydrocarbons to Europe. Our country accounts for about 13% of all oil imports of the European Union, the bulk of which goes through the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC). We highly appreciate the support of the European Union aimed at ensuring the stable and long-term operation of this consortium, and at the same time, we are developing alternative routes for transporting raw materials. Kazakhstan is implementing projects in the field of renewable energy and environmentally friendly fuel. We are increasing the capacity of wind and solar energy, and also developing projects for the production of ‘green’ hydrogen together with our long-standing partners Total, Eni, Svevind and other European companies. In addition, Kazakhstan, together with Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan, is starting work on a large-scale project to build a green energy transmission line across the Caspian Sea with further access to European markets," said Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.

In his opinion, cooperation in the field of rare earth materials is another strategically important area of ​​​​interaction. Kazakhstan produces 19 out of 34 types of raw materials needed by the EU economy, including uranium, titanium, copper, lithium, cobalt, tungsten, and many others.

In addition, Kazakhstan, together with the EBRD, implements projects in the field of geological exploration and introduces advanced and sustainable practices in the mining industry. In this context, the President proposed to create a regional research center for rare earth metals in Astana, which can become a source of up-to-date information for enterprises and investors on available deposits, technologies, and their development.

Kassym-Jomart Tokayev believes that with the necessary infrastructure and coordinated actions of the states of the region, Central Asia can become a prosperous transit hub, ensuring effective supply chains between the East and the West.

Last year, the volume of container traffic along the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route increased by 62%, amounting to 4.5 million tons. It is planned to increase cargo traffic to 10 million tons by 2027. Kassym-Jomart Tokayev supported the EU Global Gateway strategy, which promotes the expansion of sustainable transport links in the region.

Kazakhstan is actively promoting decarbonization initiatives. As the President said, our country plays a critical role in the production of clean energy, providing about 40 percent of the world's nuclear fuel supplies. Last year, the Regional Project Office on Climate Change and Green Energy was established in Kazakhstan.

In his speech, the head of state paid special attention to digital technologies and the development of artificial intelligence.

"Kazakhstan is actively investing in these areas. At the beginning of the year, the International Advisory Council on Artificial Intelligence under the President was created in our country. A program to train 100 thousand IT specialists is being implemented in Kazakhstan. A high-tech center Alem.AI is being created in Astana, which will facilitate the implementation of innovations, the creation of startups, and research in this area. We have also launched a venture fund for the accelerated development of artificial intelligence. Through the Team Europe initiative, the European Union provides support to Central Asian countries in developing cooperation in the field of digital technologies. Kazakhstan is ready for cooperation and the exchange of experience. In this regard, I propose to launch an innovative campus ‘Central Asia - European Union’ on the basis of Astana Hub," said Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.

The Head of State emphasized that the EU has always been an important partner of Kazakhstan in the fields of science and education.

"Our countries actively cooperate within the framework of the Erasmus+, Horizon Europe and other initiatives. The opening of over thirty branches of foreign universities in Kazakhstan contributes to the promotion of useful academic knowledge in our country. We are interested in further receiving grants and scholarships; such programs are already being implemented jointly with a number of European countries. We propose developing the Erasmus+ for Central Asia program with an emphasis on training specialists in priority areas such as artificial intelligence, water management, biotechnology, and others," the President added.

Kassym-Jomart Tokayev then noted the importance of international security and stability as a key factor in sustainable development. He emphasized that Kazakhstan is firmly committed to a balanced foreign policy, expanding cooperation with all interested states and major organizations, including the EU.

Photo: Akorda press service

Recalling the growth of global instability, the President stated the need to exercise restraint and responsibility in assessing the complex events taking place in the world. In the year of the 80th anniversary of the UN, he called on all countries to direct their efforts to comply with the Charter of the world organization and the generally recognized principles of international law, as well as to support the activities of Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

The European Union is Kazakhstan's largest trading partner and investor. The EU's share in the total volume of foreign direct investment is more than 40%. In 2024, trade turnover between Kazakhstan and EU members reached about $50 billion (80% of EU trade with Central Asian countries).

Tokayev arrives at Samarkand Congress Center