SOCIETY 384

AMBASSADORS
KAZAKHSTAN
Connecting East and West
SOCIETY Magazine spoke with the Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Austria and
former Foreign Minister, H.E. Mukhtar Tileuberdi, about bilateral and multilateral
cooperation, his country’s foreign policy and its stance on the Russia-Ukraine war.
INTERVIEW BY MAG. GERTRUD TAUCHHAMMER
44
“As a country that connects
East and West, our
relations with European
and Asian countries are
equally important.”
You have just recently been accredited as Ambassador
of Kazakhstan to Austria. Can you tell us a
bit about your main goals and objectives for your
term here?
As the Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Austria, I am
certainly ready to work on the strengthening and
further developing of mutually beneficial relations
between our nations in all spheres.
We intend to intensify a high-level political dialogue
and conduct a series of bilateral visits in the
near future. During these visits, the legal framework
of our cooperation will be expanded. For
today, we have a number of bilateral agreements
ready to be signed, including an agreement on the
abolition of visas for holders of diplomatic passports
and a Readmission agreement.
In terms of trade and investment, Kazakhstan is
a reliable partner for Austria in the field of energy
supply. However, we are interested in diversifying
our trade turnover. A Kazakh-Austrian Business
Council and an Intergovernmental
Commission
on Economic Cooperation
are actively working
for this purpose. The 12 th
meeting of the Commission
is planned to be held
in Kazakhstan in 2024.
Kazakhstan also offers
the most favourable
investment climate in the
Central Asian region. Today, about 40 Austrian
companies are doing business in Kazakhstan. To
increase this number, it will be helpful to resume
direct flights between our capitals.
Cultural and humanitarian relations are gradually
developing. Just recently, a concert by the
ethno-folklore ensemble Sazgen Sazy was successfully
held in Vienna's Muth Hall, and Kazakh
films were screened at the Stadtkino.
In addition, as Kazakhstan's Permanent Representative
to the International Organizations in
Vienna, I intend to further deepen mutual understanding
and support between the two states within
the OSCE and other International Organizations.
In April 2023, Kazakh and Austrian officials
met in the framework of the 11 th meeting of the
Kazakh-Austrian Intergovernmental Commission
on Economic, Agricultural, Ecological, Technical,
Industrial and Technological Cooperation. Are
there any concrete examples of cooperation in
these areas at the moment?
Indeed, the Intergovernmental Commission is a
solid platform for the interaction in order to reach
a common decision on the current issues of the
economic agenda between our countries.
As you may know, during the last meeting, several
memoranda of understanding were signed on
various industrial projects, such as on localization
of ceramic tile production, water management,
assembly of heating units, certification of products,
plant breeding, hydropower development,
engineering, transportation and logistics. We are
convinced that the potential for economic cooperation
is enormous.
Kazakhstan has vast mineral reserves, including
strategic rare earth metals, and a highly competitive
and skilled workforce.
The Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC)
allows foreign companies to establish legal entities
and enjoy a wide range of tax and regulatory
benefits, including the benefits of English law,
which is applicable in this jurisdiction.
According to World Bank and IMF (International
Monetary Fund) forecasts, Kazakhstan's GDP
will grow by at least 4% over the next few years.
Kazakhstan has attracted a record $28 billion in
foreign direct investment in 2022.
We would like to invite the Austrian business
community to visit Kazakhstan and open up new
opportunities for their business.
Between 2019 and 2023, you have served as Minister
of Foreign Affairs of the Republic Kazakhstan.
Can you tell us a bit about the main pillars of your
country’s foreign policy?
Over the past three decades, Kazakhstan has
established itself as a vibrant and dynamic developing
country, an active and responsible member
of the international community, and a reliable
partner at the global and regional levels. Our country
implements a multi-vector foreign policy to
establish good relations around the world. We are
committed to working with all countries in a spirit
of inclusiveness and goodwill. As a country that
connects East and West, our relations with European
and Asian countries are equally important.
We are working to strengthen cooperation with
our main neighbours — China and Russia, especially
in the areas of trade, infrastructure projects
through regional initiatives such as the Belt and
Road. Kazakhstan is committed to continued dialogue
and strengthened relations with the EU and
the US, particularly in the areas of trade, investment
and political dialogue.
image/s by SOCIETY/Pobaschnig
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