Overview
Kazakhstan, spanning as the 9th largest country globally, is home to 18 million people and stands as the largest economy in Central Asia, largely attributed to its extensive natural resources.
Despite its economy's strong reliance on the extractive industry, Kazakhstan is steering towards a greener and more sustainable economic model. At the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow in November 2021, Kazakhstan announced its goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 15% by 2030 and to achieve carbon neutrality by 2060.
Our partnership
The EU supports Kazakhstan to achieve sustainable economic growth, in line with the EU’s Global Gateway strategy and the Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (EPCA), which entered into force on 1 March 2020.
This agreement, the first of its kind signed by the EU with a Central Asian partner, provides a broad framework for reinforced political dialogue, comprehensive sectoral cooperation and promotion of mutual trade and investments.
As a key partner in Central Asia, Kazakhstan plays a strategic role in sustainable trade, transport and digital connectivity, critical raw materials, green transition, and governance reforms.
The EU supports Kazakhstan’s long-term development goals by promoting sustainable economic growth, green transition, rule of law and local development. Through Team Europe, the EU and its Member States, along with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the European Investment Bank (EIB) work together to advance these priorities.
The EU allocated €20 million to support its partnership with Kazakhstan over 2021-27. Kazakhstan also benefits from all EU regional programmes.
EU-Kazakhstan partnership programming documents can be found in the 'Related documents' section below.
Our key initiatives
- Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor
The EU and Kazakhstan are working together in the regional context of developing the Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor, to modernise infrastructure, improve logistics efficiency, and strengthen regional economic integration along the Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor. Efforts include:
- Working through the Coordination Platform for the Corridor and stimulating investments, including through pre-feasibility studies to support infrastructure development.
- Identifying key infrastructure projects to improve transport links, including ports expansions, road and railway improvements , and logistics centres.
- Facilitating trade and investment for a greater cooperation among Central Asian countries, to improve the business climate and investments, including organisation of the EU-Central Asia Investors’ Forum and the EU-Central Asia Economic Forum.
- Improving Kazakhstan’s cross-border security by enhancing regional collaboration on border management and countering illicit trafficking, including through the BOMCA programme (Border Management Programme in Central Asia) and efforts to reduce the demand and trafficking of illegal drugs (CADAP, Central Asia Drug Action Programme).
- Critical raw materials
Kazakhstan plays a key role in ensuring sustainable supply chains for critical raw materials (CRM), which are essential for the EU’s green and digital transition. Our efforts focus on:
- Increased cooperation between the EU and Kazakhstan on CRMs through the 2022 Memorandum of Understanding on sustainable raw materials, batteries, and renewable hydrogen value chains.
- Increased cooperation between Central Asia and the EU with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), including through a joint project on geological research and resource mapping on lithium and tungsten, in partnership with the national Kazakh company Tau-Ken Samruk.
- The critical raw materials Global Facility.
- The EBRD Hi-Bar Programme for the Energy Transition, supported by the European Fund for Sustainable Development +.
- Digital connectivity
The EU partners with Kazakhstan to enhance digital connectivity by strengthening policies and regulations that support the development of sustainable and inclusive satellite networks. Investments focus on building satellite ground stations for digital connectivity in remote and underserved areas.
- Water, energy and climate change
The EU, Team Europe, and local partners promote regional cooperation on energy and water management. The green transition itself will also be an opportunity for sustainable growth and job creation. The EU and Kazakhstan are making progress through key initiatives, including:
- The bilateral Cooperation Facility programme that promotes the alignment of Kazakhstan's Emission Trading System (ETS) with the EU's ETS framework; a national implementation framework for the content of the Water Code (related to digital technologies and groundwater management, among others).
- The regional Central Asia Water & Energy Programme which promotes greater regional cooperation for more resilient and better integrated water and energy management, to support the resilience of Central Asian countries to climate change.
- The EU4Sustainable Central Asia:
- Renewable Energy in Central Asia (RECA) programme, which strengthens conditions for regional and national integration of renewable energy in Central Asia.
- Joint Action and Coordination on Water, Energy and Climate Change programme, which improves regional coordination on water management and establishes a Team Europe secretariat.
- Rule of law and civil society
The EU supports Kazakhstan in strengthening the rule of law, democratic governance, and civil society engagement in line with international standards. Actions focus on:
- Strengthening the capacities of Kazakh civil society organisations to promote civic participation and governance reforms.
- The regional Civil Society Facility that enhances the capacities of Central Asian CSOs to participate in policy making processes at the regional level.
- Facilitating dialogue through the EU-Central Asia Civil Society Fora.
- Enhancing local development and access to justice.
- Promoting awareness of human rights, including a project on the history and role of Kazakh women’s movements.
- Human development
To strengthen healthcare, and skills development, contributing to social well-being and economic opportunities, the EU partners with Kazakhstan on:
- Strengthening the resilience of immunisation systems, with strong emphasis on the digitalisation of health information systems.
- Fostering inclusive and labour market-relevant skills development opportunities for the Kazakh youth.
