Kazakhstan and Germany agree on new projects in education, water resources and agriculture
Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kanat Bozumbayev held a series of talks with colleagues from the Federal Republic of Germany.
During the working trip there was a meeting with the Parliamentary State Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research Jens Brandenburg, Parliamentary State Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture Claudia Muller, Managing Director of the German Water Partnership Boris Greifeneder, Head of the National and International Economic Policy Group of the Office of the Federal Chancellor Holger Fabig and Scientific Director of the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ) Susanne B. Bazumbayev, Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
Jens Brandenburg, Parliamentary State Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, discussed the prospect of joint training of professional staff in the water sector. The German side expressed readiness to identify a university for collaboration with the new Kazakh National University of Water Management and Irrigation in Taraz in the near future.
Kanat Bozumbayev discussed with the Parliamentary State Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture Claudia Muller the possibilities of entering the German market of Kazakh agro-industrial and organic products.
Today Germany is one of the key agricultural partners of Kazakhstan.
The parties agreed to agree on the Concept of the Regional Centre for Sustainable Agriculture in Central Asia. Recall that work on the creation of the Regional Centre for Sustainable Agriculture is being carried out on the initiative of the President of Kazakhstan, announced during his official visit to Germany on 28-29 September 2023.
Then Deputy Prime Minister held talks with the Managing Director of "German Water Partnership" Boris Greifeneder.
The German Water Partnership (GWP) is a network of the international water industry in Germany, bringing together more than 300 companies in the water sector. Co-operation with GWP is an important step towards sustainable and efficient water management and will enable the use of proven new technologies. Following the meeting, an agreement was reached to develop a draft Global Water Partnership Agreement between the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Federal Republic of Germany.
Also K. Bozumbayev took part in the panel discussion of the round table "Water for Sustainable Development".
"The consequences of recent floods, unprecedented in their intensity over the past 80 years, have pointed to the need for innovative approaches to combat and prevent similar disasters in the future. We are currently piloting the German digital flood forecasting solution Talsim with the assistance of UNDP. We are also ready to study the German experience in dealing with floods and mitigation programmes," Kanat Bozumbayev said.
During the roundtable, dozens of German companies expressed their desire for co-operation and production in Kazakhstan.
Next, Kanat Bozumbayev met with Holger Fabig, Head of the National and International Economic Policy Group of the Federal Chancellor's Office. The parties exchanged views on industrial and raw materials co-operation and joint development of mineral resources.
"Increasing the degree of processing of raw materials on site with the subsequent transport of products of higher processing has a number of advantages for both Kazakhstan and Germany. As voiced by our President, we for our part consider it optimal to create a Consortium of German and Kazakh companies for the implementation of joint raw materials projects," Deputy Prime Minister emphasised.
Kanat Bozumbayev discussed the study of underground water resources in Kazakhstan with the scientific director of the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ) Susanne Buiter. Today, the national hydrometeorological service "Kazhydromet" successfully cooperates with GFZ within the framework of the Berlin Process and the initiative "Green Central Asia".
Following the working visit of Deputy Prime Minister to Germany, the following documents were signed:
- Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Independent Institute for Environmental Problems (Federal Republic of Germany);
- Memorandum between the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the German Water Partnership;
- Memorandum between the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation of the Republic of Kazakhstan and INNARI Innovative Natural Irrigation Limited Liability Company;
- Memorandum between the Kazakh Research Institute of Water Management LLP (KazNIIWH) - Republic of Kazakhstan and the Independent Institute for Environmental Problems (NIEP) of Germany;
- Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Independent Institute for Environmental Problems of Germany.
Source: Official Information Source of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan
