The 5th meeting of the Kazakhstan–Switzerland Business Council took place in Astana on November 28 with the participation of Serik Zhumangarin, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Economy of Kazakhstan, and Guy Parmelin, Vice President of the Swiss Confederation and Federal Councilor for Economic Affairs. The event was organized by Stadler Rail AG and Kazakhstan Temir Zholy national railway company.
The meeting was moderated by Madiyar Sultanbek, Deputy Chairman of the Management Board of KAZAKH INVEST, who emphasized that Switzerland is the third largest investor in Kazakhstan’s economy, with cumulative investments of around USD 36 billion, and highlighted the strong dynamics of cooperation in engineering, transport, finance, innovation, and industrial partnership.
“Investment cooperation with Switzerland is characterized not only by a steady inflow of capital but also by the high technological content of projects. In the first half of 2025, Swiss companies significantly expanded their presence in Kazakhstan, and this trend continues due to their growing interest in the country’s new industrial and infrastructure opportunities. Swiss partners traditionally focus on long-term projects, and their participation enhances technology transfer, raises production standards, and supports the development of high-tech sectors,” noted Madiyar Sultanbek.
The meeting discussed prospects for strengthening trade and economic relations, expanding industrial partnership, modernizing railway transport, implementing engineering solutions, and developing joint infrastructure projects.
Deputy Prime Minister Zhumangarin noted that in the first nine months of 2025, Kazakh-Swiss trade amounted to approximately USD 1.1 billion. Kazakhstan is interested in expanding the presence of Swiss businesses in the fields of mechanical engineering, pharmaceuticals, medicine and biotechnology, digitalisation, transport and logistics infrastructure, and renewable energy sources.
One of the significant cooperation projects is the localization of passenger railcar production at Stadler Kazakhstan in Astana. A contract has been signed for the supply of 557 high-tech railcars, with the first batch expected to be delivered by the end of the current year.
