Chancellor Friedrich Merz of the CDU and the Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev met in Berlin on Tuesday to emphasize the importance of bilateral ties between the two countries. Both nations expressed their desire to further expand cooperation in various sectors, including energy, logistics, and agriculture.
Merz noted that Kazakhstan is Germany’s most important trading partner in Central Asia and emphasized the need to intensify collaboration in industry, technology, and raw materials. These efforts will be bolstered by a planned economic forum in Berlin.
Tokayev praised Germany as a pivotal partner within the European Union, stressing the significance of the cultural and economic relationship between the two countries. He highlighted that Germany was among the first nations to recognize Kazakhstan’s independence. Tokayev also expressed a desire to elevate investment cooperation to a new qualitative level, underscoring the importance of German companies operating in Kazakhstan, which already include over a thousand enterprises with German capital involvement.
The leaders also discussed the war in Ukraine. Merz reaffirmed Germany’s support for Ukraine and called on Russia to engage in serious negotiations. Tokayev stressed the necessity of respecting the territorial integrity of every state and advocated for a freeze on hostilities to pave the way for diplomatic solutions.
