Brussels, 21/01/2015 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday 20 January, the EU and Kazakhstan initialled their enhanced partnership and cooperation agreement that was concluded in mid-September 2014. This paves the way for full signature and then implementation of the agreement. The newly initialled agreement will replace the 1999 partnership agreement, and is intended to strengthen Kazakhstan's political and social development through a series of targeted political and economic measures to bring the two parties closer together and stimulate reforms in Kazakhstan.
This agreement aims to strengthen political dialogue, cooperation on foreign policy and security, and cooperation on justice and freedoms (including the rule of law, data protection, migration, the fight against money laundering, corruption, terrorism and drug trafficking). It also aims to improve the regulatory framework for economic operators as regards trade in services, the investment and establishment of investors, trade in raw materials and energy products, public procurement and intellectual property. In addition, this agreement aims to improve trade and contact between people. The EU's visa code, which has been in force since April 2010, already simplifies the issuing of short-stay visas for citizens from Kazakhstan visiting the EU.
Kazakhstan is the first central Asian country to have concluded an enhanced partnership and cooperation agreement with the EU. Over the last decade the EU has become Kazakhstan's first trading partner and first foreign investor, representing over half of total FDI in Kazakhstan. Bilateral trade stood at over €31 billion in 2013. Kazakhstan's exports to the EU stood at €23.6 billion, comprising mostly oil (which feeds 5-6% of European demand), while EU exports to Kazakhstan stood at €7.5 billion, mainly comprising manufactured goods, machines and equipment.
In October 2014, the EU and Kazakhstan concluded their bilateral negotiations on market access as part of Kazakhstan's WTO membership process (which is still ongoing).
After leaving the USSR, Kazakhstan continued to have very privileged links with Russia. These two countries and Belarus signed an agreement in May 2014 to create a Eurasian union, which has been operational since 1 January 2015. (EH)