Germany considers Kazakhstan to be one of its key partners in Central Asia and a reliable supplier of energy resources. ‘For Germany, Kazakhstan is an economically, politically and strategically important country in Central Asia,’ said German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul, according to the Kazakh Foreign Ministry. For Astana, cooperation with Western partners is important, above all, for attracting investment and introducing modern technologies and solutions. For Berlin, partnership with Kazakhstan is a way to ensure stable supplies of resources and enter the markets of Central Asia.
According to the Kazakh Foreign Ministry, the country’s mineral resource base includes more than 5,000 deposits, with an estimated value of tens of trillions of dollars. Kazakhstan ranks first in the world in terms of proven reserves of zinc, tungsten and barite, second in terms of reserves of silver, lead and chromite, third in terms of copper and fluorite, fourth in terms of molybdenum and sixth in terms of gold. The country also has significant oil and gas reserves, ranking ninth in the world in terms of proven oil reserves, eighth in terms of coal reserves and second in terms of uranium reserves. Energy is one of the key areas of cooperation for Berlin and Astana. Kazakh oil is supplied to the oil refinery in Schwedt.
