Chancellor Scholz in Central Asia: Following an agreement with Uzbekistan, neighboring countries follow.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is currently on a state visit to Central Asia. On Sunday, Scholz signed an agreement with Uzbekistan to enhance cooperation in critical minerals (we reported). A similar partnership has now been established with neighboring Kazakhstan, as the national news agency Kazinform reports. Critical raw materials, crucial for the energy transition, are to be processed locally in Kazakhstan to increase domestic value creation, with Germany providing technology and expertise, Scholz said in his speech.
According to the Kazakh government, the country hosts 19 of the 34 raw materials classified as critical by the European Union, including rare earths, whose production is to be significantly expanded. An agreement on raw materials was signed with the EU in November 2022, and multiple collaborations with Germany in this sector are already in place. These activities are to be further expanded with the creation of a raw materials consortium involving the German Raw Materials Agency (DERA) and Kazakh partners, said Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, the president of the Central Asian country.
He also mentioned the energy sector as another promising area for cooperation. Kazakhstan has the second-largest oil reserves in Eurasia, with 70 percent of oil exports already going to the EU. Additionally, the country has substantial untapped potential in renewable energy.
Photo: emarto, No Glory’s Images via Canva
