Kazakhstan to ink agreements with 5 big German companies

At the meeting, Secretary Abdykalikova noted that this year Kazakhstan marks 25 years of its Independence and 25 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between Kazakhstan and Germany.

"Over these years Kazakhstan has seen a lot of dramatic changes both in living standards and lifestyle. There were times when 47% of Kazakhstani population could barely make ends meet. Nowadays, only 2-3% of Kazakhstanis live in poverty," she said.



It was noted that Kazakhstan's trade turnover is growing steadily every year. Utmost attention is paid to the issues of commercial and economic relations.

"Two-way trade between Kazakhstan and Germany totaled over $2 billion last year. Agreements with five large German companies on new projects in Kazakhstan are expected to be signed in the nearest future. After launching a special program to attract foreign investors, Kazakhstan looks forward to active cooperation with the German side," Abdykalikova stressed.

"Next year we will host a big event - EXPO 2017. We are thankful to Germany for supporting Kazakhstan's bid to host the event. The German pavilion will be unveiled at the EXPO city on July 12, 2017. We would like to invite you to this exhibition which will showcase the latest innovations in the sphere of energy," said Ms Abdykalikova extending the invitation to the German MP.

Nowadays, according to the Secretary of State, nearly 180,000 ethnic Germans reside in Kazakhstan.

"We have German cultural centers in most regions of the country preserving German culture, language and traditions. Nearly 900,000 native Germans have moved from Kazakhstan to Germany over these years," she said in conclusion.