Central Asia and Gulf Countries to strengthen interregional partnership, rare earth cooperation
The Kazakh delegation, headed by Deputy Prime Minister – Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan Murat Nurtleu, participated in the 3rd Ministerial Meeting of the “Central Asia – Gulf Cooperation Council” format, Kazinform News Agency learnt from the Kazakh Foreign Ministry.
The participants reviewed the current state of interregional cooperation, exchanged views on pressing international issues, and outlined priority areas for future collaboration. In his remarks, head of Kazakh delegation noted that although the “CA-GCC” platform was launched recently, it has already established itself as a promising mechanism for engagement within the “C5+” format.
Special attention was given to practical cooperation in key areas. The Kazakh side emphasized that coordinated actions between the regions could significantly enhance trade and economic ties, create sustainable supply chains, and ensure food security.
Priority sectors for collaboration included investment, the agro-industrial complex, transport infrastructure, renewable energy, climate change, geology, digitalization and innovation.
The Kazakh Foreign Minister also underscored the strategic relevance of cooperation in rare earth and critical raw materials industries. “Kazakhstan possesses more than 5,000 mineral deposits with a total estimated value exceeding 46 trillion US dollars. We invite our GCC partners to participate in joint projects across the full cycle – from exploration to processing and innovative applications,” stated Minister Nurtleu.
He further highlighted the importance of driving the partnership through digital technologies. Kazakhstan is actively investing in this field and has recently established an International Advisory Council on Artificial Intelligence and launched Alem.AI Center in Astana that will serve as a hub for startups, R&D, and cutting-edge tech development.
On the humanitarian front, Kazakhstan expressed interest in deepening cooperation in education, sports, tourism and cultural exchange. The Kazakh side also proposed the creation of a unified Central Asian tourist route tailored to visitors from the Gulf countries.
“The partnership between Central Asia and the GCC is built not only on shared economic interests but also on profound historical and cultural ties. Kazakhstan stands ready to welcome your official delegations, business representatives and citizens to the Astana International Forum this May,” Minister Nurtleu concluded.
In addition, the heads of delegations of the participating countries were received by the Crown Prince of Kuwait Mishal al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah. The meeting served as an opportunity to discuss prospects for strengthening political dialogue, expanding economic cooperation, and promoting humanitarian engagement between the regions.
As earlier reported, the first-ever EU-Central Asia summit was to take place on April 3-4, 2025, in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.
