Brussels, 22/12/2015 (Agence Europe) - On Monday 21 December, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini and Kazakhstan's Minister for Foreign Affairs Erlan Idrissov signed an enhanced partnership and cooperation agreement in Astana. The agreement had been concluded in September 2014 and initialled in January.
The enhanced agreement is due to replace the 1999 partnership agreement (for strengthening bilateral relations, and Kazakhstan's political and social development) through a series of political and economic relations aimed at bringing the two parties closer together and stimulating reforms in Kazakhstan.
The agreement will enable a strengthened legal base to be created for political and economic relations between the two partners, providing a broad framework for enhanced political dialogue, cooperation in justice and home affairs and many other areas.
The enhanced agreement puts strong emphasis on democracy and the rule of law, human rights and fundamental freedoms, sustainable development and civil society cooperation.
As regards foreign and security policy, the agreement covers regional security, weapons of mass destruction, the fight against terrorism, the prevention of conflicts, and crisis management.
With regard to economic issues, the agreement will ensure a better regulatory framework for economic operators in this domain - such as services, the establishment and operation of companies, capital movements, raw materials and energy, public procurement and intellectual property.
The agreement will enable cooperation in 29 other areas of action - including economic and financial cooperation, energy, transport, the environment and climate change, employment and social affairs, culture, education and research.
Kazakhstan is the first partner from Central Asia to have concluded an enhanced partnership and cooperation agreement with the EU.
Over the course of the last decade, the EU has become Kazakhstan's top trading partner (Kazakhstan alone feeds nearly 6% of the European demand for oil). Over the same time, the EU has also become the top foreign investor in Kazakhstan. (Original version in French by Emmanuel Hagry)