As part of Kazakhstan-France Business Forum in Astana on May 28, 15 bilateral agreements were signed between government bodies, national companies, and business entities of the two countries. The agreements span strategic sectors such as energy, healthcare, technology, logistics, agriculture, education, and sustainable development, Kazakh Invest reported.
One of the key documents was an Investment Agreement between the Ministry of Energy of Kazakhstan and Air Liquide Munay Tech Gases LLP. The $90 million project involves the construction of a hydrogen production facility at the Pavlodar Petrochemical Plant and marks a major step in emissions reduction and the implementation of green industrial technologies.
The Ministry of Healthcare of Kazakhstan and Sanofi signed a memorandum on collaboration in prevention of infectious diseases via access to best-in-class safe combination vaccines with cell-free pertussis component, as well as on investigating the possibility of localization of Sanofi vaccines in Kazakhstan. A separate agreement was signed with C3Medical aimed at improving early diagnostics of oncological diseases, particularly breast cancer. The French Development Agency (AFD) and Expertise France also committed to supporting Kazakhstan’s healthcare reform through a cooperation agreement with the Ministry of Healthcare.
QazCloud and French company Clever Cloud signed an agreement to develop a cloud platform and AI-based solutions in Kazakhstan.
A notable result was the memorandum on the modernization of Karaganda’s water infrastructure, signed between the Karaganda city administration, the Housing and Utilities Modernization Center, and Suez International. The project aims to upgrade water supply and wastewater systems, improving environmental and sanitary conditions for residents.
The National Agrarian Scientific and Educational Center of Kazakhstan signed memorandums with French companies Lidea, Livestock Summit, and IMV Technologies to implement projects in sustainable agriculture, green economy, and agri-science innovation.
At the forum, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Alibek Kuantyrov stated: “France is one of Kazakhstan’s key political and economic partners in the European Union. Over 170 companies with French capital operate in our country, including well-known brands such as TotalEnergies, Orano, Alstom, Vicat, Danone, Air Liquide, and others. France consistently ranks among Kazakhstan’s top 10 trading partners and is the largest EU investor in our economy, with total investments exceeding $17 billion. In 2023 alone, six joint projects worth about $300 million were implemented, and over 20 initiatives are currently under development. We highly value the contribution of French businesses to Kazakhstan’s economic development and remain committed to creating a favorable environment for investors.”
Photo: primeminister.kz
