Chancellor Scholz and President Tokayev discussed bilateral cooperation during the historic visit

President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev received German Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Acorda during an official visit to Kazakhstan on September 16, which was Scholz's first visit in 14 years.

In his welcoming speech, President Tokayev thanked Scholz for his visit, calling it a historic moment.

"I am sure that we will give a very serious impetus to the development of our cooperation and the increase of bilateral trade. This is very important, because Germany is one of our main European and even global partners," Tokayev said.

He emphasized the importance of multifaceted cooperation between the two countries and expressed Kazakhstan's willingness to further deepen and strengthen mutual ties.

"I thank you for the invitation and the opportunity to discuss and develop our bilateral relations," said Scholz, who arrived in Kazakhstan with a large delegation of business representatives.

The leaders of the two countries discussed political, trade-economic, cultural and humanitarian ties. They also noted cooperation in critical sectors such as energy and green transition, industry, mining, transport and logistics, climate change, environment, agriculture and education.

During the meeting, President Tokayev, at the request of Scholtz, commented on the solution to the situation around Ukraine.

"It is a fact that from a military point of view, Russia is invincible. The further escalation of the war will lead to irreparable consequences for all of humanity, and first of all for the countries that are directly involved in the Russian-Ukrainian conflict. Unfortunately, with the refusal to sign the Istanbul Agreement, a good opportunity to achieve at least a ceasefire was lost," Tokayev said.

Tokayev emphasized that "the possibility of achieving peace still exists."

"It is necessary to carefully consider all peace initiatives on the part of various countries and make a decision on the cessation of hostilities, and then proceed to the discussion of territorial issues. In our opinion, the peace plan proposed by China and Brazil deserves support," Tokayev said.

"State leaders come and go, but peoples, especially neighboring ones, must live in peace and mutual understanding. Kazakhstan has the world's longest delimited land border with Russia, and cooperation between our countries is developing within the framework of a strategic partnership and alliance. Kazakhstan has sincere sympathy for the Ukrainian people and their unique culture. There have never been disagreements between our states. The Embassy of Kazakhstan continues to work in Kyiv," President Tokayev said.

Germany is a key trade and investment partner of Kazakhstan. According to the Kazakhstan government, in the first seven months of this year, mutual trade increased by 13% compared to the same period in 2023 and amounted to $2.3 billion. Last year, direct investment from Germany to Kazakhstan increased by 64% and reached $770 million, with the majority of funds aimed at the development of the non-commodity sector of the economy, which is a priority for Kazakhstan.

The German Chancellor will also attend the second Central Asia+Germany Summit on September 17 to discuss strategic trade cooperation and joint investment projects.