I think it is an exciting time for Kazakhstan - Ambassador of Germany in an exclusive interview

— How do you assess current relations between Kazakhstan and Germany?

I think we can say that relations are excellent and rest on various pillars. We have wonderful political contacts and high-level visits. As you know, the President was here in Kazakhstan last year, the Foreign Minister in 2022, and now we are expecting the Chancellor. This is always a wonderful opportunity to exchange views on world affairs and global issues that are of concern and interest to both countries.

Of course, our economic relations are constantly growing throughout the year, we see a lot of new initiatives there as well. What I am particularly pleased about is the significant growth in our academic and university cooperation. We’ve seen initiatives in this area in recent years, and universities are very interested in working with Kazakhstan. From my conversations, I know Kazakh universities are also keen on this collaboration. Plus, we have excellent relations between civil societies. Our relations are truly very close and intensive in a very positive way.

— Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s upcoming visit is a part of broader tour to Central Asia. Does it signal the growing interest of Germany into this region? What are the reasons behind it and what goals are being pursued?

Yes, I believe we can say that Germany has shown interest in this region since the Central Asian countries gained independence. For example, at that time, the decision was made to establish embassies in all five Central Asian countries as newly independent states, and to support them in their development. So, I think we have been partners from the very beginning of their independence, and this interest has only grown over time.

And yes, this visit certainly signals that this region, Central Asia, and Kazakhstan, as our most important partner in the region, are developing and growing very well. In this case, there will be a bilateral visit, which is very important, here in Kazakhstan, and there will also be a meeting of the C5+1 with the Central Asian states. This demonstrates that we are very interested in regional cooperation. If you remember, in 2007, when Germany had the EU presidency, we very much were driving the Central Asia strategy of the European Union and I think all the way since then this interest has been very steady in the region, in our interest in this region.

— Specifically, about visit to Kazakhstan, what can we expect from a visit of Chancellor Olaf Scholz? What topics will be discussed during the visit?

Yes, as I mentioned, our relations are very multifaceted. Political discussions are always important for exchanging views on world affairs, geopolitical issues, and how we see the world and what’s going on. Economic relations will also play a significant role. There will be a very high-level business delegation coming with the Chancellor, so I think those will be a topic also of discussion.

Issues such as climate, the environment, and water issues in particular, are gaining in importance. Additionally, as I mentioned earlier, civil society aspects will likely be discussed, along with cooperation in education and academic research. While I don’t know exactly what the leaders will discuss, I would expect these areas to be of interest and likely to come up during the meetings.

— Is Germany planning to increase investments in Kazakhstan? And if so, which sectors are of particular interest and what projects are either going or planned?

Well, I think without wanting to reveal too much before we are having the business forum during the visit, I think what we can say is that yes, German companies are interested in investing in Kazakhstan. They are always looking for good opportunities in Kazakhstan to invest, looking also of course at the investment climate and business climate. Several companies have already decided to invest here in the past, and they are quite satisfied with their investments.

I can imagine there will be more investments from Germany in sectors such as transport and logistics, particularly if we talk about the Middle Corridor, the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route. I believe logistics companies are interested in participating and potentially investing in this area.

Agriculture is another important field, especially in terms of agricultural machinery and the necessary tools to help the sector grow and thrive. As I mentioned earlier, climate and environmental issues, including water-saving technologies, are gaining attention from companies as well.

I don’t know how far they are advanced with that. Maybe not for this visit. But the interest is there. It’s constant. It depends on both partners finding projects that make sense and are economically viable, and when that happens, I believe companies will be ready to invest».

— How do you envision the future of relations between European Union and Central Asia? Do you consider C5+1 format of political dialogue to be effective in fostering the cooperation?

Over the past two or three years, during my time here in Kazakhstan, we have seen relations between Europe and Central Asia develop very positively. I can mention Global the Gateway Initiative, which is now looking at the Middle Corridor, or the Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor.

Earlier this year, there was an investment conference in Brussels to explore how European companies can support efforts to fully utilize the capacity of this corridor, and I believe we are on the right path in that regard.

We have also seen the establishment of a coordination platform aimed at strengthening the Middle Corridor, which allows coordinated efforts to support projects. I think that this is an area where we see a lot of progress. There has also been an agreement between the European Union and Kazakhstan on raw materials, batteries, and green hydrogen, which is another area where the EU is very invested. Since the introduction of the first Central Asia strategy in 2007, we’ve seen steady development, and I’m confident that these relations will continue to grow positively.

Regarding the C5+1, I’d first like to say that we are very encouraged to see the five Central Asian countries cooperating more closely than in the past. At the latest consultative meeting in August, ministers from the region met to discuss important topics such as transport and energy. There are also other crucial areas for cooperation, such as trade, climate, the environment, and water management, and we are seeing bilateral talks and agreements emerge on these issues.

Over the last three years, we’ve seen many promising initiatives aimed at fostering cooperation among the five Central Asian countries. The C5+1 format offers us, and other partner countries, the opportunity to explore how we can cooperate with the region and support the goals and initiatives Central Asian countries are pursuing. It also provides a platform for regional cooperation, which I believe holds great potential, as the countries of the region can achieve much by working together.

This format is particularly useful for fostering dialogue on what the region needs. This is further supported by the strategic regional partnership we agreed on last year, which includes various working groups on the economy, people-to-people contacts, and climate and environmental issues. These groups allow us to continue discussing the issues, even outside of summit meetings.

— How does Germany assess «One Belt, One Road» initiative?

I believe we are in favor of having good transport routes. Germany is, of course, an export-oriented country, conducting a lot of trade globally, including with this region and China. We think that anything that would support to have flows of goods that are faster, that are reliable, and with affordable rates for transport, for freight transport, is something that we would support. It must be a fair competition. There must be opportunity for all the partners involved. And I think that it is something that is beneficial to all.

— President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev recently emphasized the importance of attracting foreign IT specialists, so-called digital nomads. How do you think is Germany considering the possibility in deepening cooperation with Kazakhstan in this area?

I think that Germany has the same attitude. We also need IT specialists. For instance, several years ago, we established special regulations to make it easier for IT professionals to move to Germany, settle, and work in our companies. We wanted to attract these digital nomads ourselves. I think it is a challenge, and it is for all developed societies that are aspiring to more digitalization and to more e-based services, for example, and government services, to find the right specialists. And it is an effort in every country, I think, to train these specialists, but also to attract them from other countries. So, I think that we are in a little bit of a competition, but it’s a friendly competition.

— On the subject of visas, Kazakhstan has simplified visa procedures for European Union citizens. While for Kazakhstani people, it’s still difficult to get Schengen visas. Is Germany open to discussing the ways to simplify Schengen visa process for Kazakhstani citizens?

Well, first of all, let me say that Germany is issuing visas here in Kazakhstan, in Almaty and in Astana, and together these missions have issued around 47,000 visas last year, so it cannot be that difficult to get a visa. The refusal rate is, from what I know, rather low, so we are trying, whatever we can, to make movement between our countries as easy as possible for students, for businesspeople, for tourists, for medical treatments and so on.

So, I don’t think we are looking that bad. At the same time, we understand that as our relations are growing, we need more mobility, of course, and it would be helpful if there was a visa facilitation also in relationship with Kazakhstan. Now, being a Schengen partner, part of the Schengen area, this is not something we can decide on our own.

It’s always a process that requires agreement from all countries involved. For us, the next step would be to task the Commission in Brussels with developing and presenting a mandate for negotiations with Kazakhstan, as we understand how important this issue is for Kazakhstan and want to improve mobility.

The member states would need to agree on this mandate before the Commission can begin negotiations with Kazakhstan. For example, a readmission agreement would need to be signed alongside a visa facilitation agreement. Currently, discussions are ongoing, and we hope that soon the member states will agree to task the Commission to do this so that we can start working on the mandate and negotiations.

I’m afraid it will not be tomorrow in terms of even if we start negotiations, it takes time, but we would be on a good path to move forward. Now what I can say for Germany is that we are supporting visa facilitation and that’s what we are always saying also in the meetings in Brussels, we would support this. As I said, discussions are ongoing, and we hope that we are getting there.

— There has been news about Volkswagen considering the closure of some factories due to the competition from Chinese electric vehicle manufacturers. How do you assess this situation? Is it driven by economic factors or maybe you see some political dimension as well?

Of course, Volkswagen is a global brand and has been a very successful company for many years in Germany and globally. It remains very popular in the country. What we are witnessing now are certain market adjustments. You have to see what consumers want — whether they are shifting towards electric vehicles — and also take economic factors into account.

What we are seeing now is a response to market developments, which happens from time to time. Companies are generally very well able to adjust to that. It may lead to certain changes; it may lead to certain restructuring also of production facilities. That is very much a decision for the company to take. But I’m very sure that they will come out of this strengthened and very much fit for the future, as we say.

— How is Germany planning to adapt its strategy depending on the outcome of the US elections, particularly if Kamala Harris or Donald Trump were to become the president?

Throughout our history, particularly in recent times as a democratic state over the last century, we have always had strong cooperation with our American partners and various U.S. governments, regardless of their political affiliation. I am confident this will continue to be the case.

— What are your impressions of Kazakhstan? What changes have you observed in Kazakhstan and in the capital as well during your time here?

Let me just say, I love working in Kazakhstan and living in Astana. What makes this modern city so livable is the constant improvements, particularly in creating green spaces and infrastructure for children. When I arrived three years ago, I walked along the river, and I saw that lights were being put up along the side. I said, okay, this is great, you can take a walk in the evening.

There are also bike paths, which are very important for Germans, and all of these features make the city very attractive and modern. Many of our visitors from Germany, who are unfamiliar with what has been happening here in recent decades, are always impressed by the city. I also enjoy the opera, ballet, and other cultural offerings, which are fantastic. I enjoy living here.

In terms of work, it has been very interesting, especially after the tragic events of 2022, as we have seen many reforms taking place. Changes are happening, and for us, it’s an opportunity to explore where we can offer support and cooperate. So, I think it’s an exciting time, I think also for Kazakhstan, and we are privileged to be here and follow it and try to support it as much as we can.

— The German Ambassador also expressed her admiration for the opening of the Nomad Games.

Let me just say, I was very impressed by the opening of the Nomad Games. It was a fantastic opening, and it’s great that Kazakhstan is hosting this event. I’ve also been hearing very positive feedback from my colleagues who are attending the competitions, and I think it’s fantastic.

I would also like to express how much we appreciate our partnership with Kazakhstan. Its openness to working with everyone, its multilateral approach, and the keen interest that I see in the years that I’ve been here in expanding the cooperation between Germany and Kazakhstan, not just between governments, also important, but also at all other levels.

The openness toward Germany not only makes me very happy, but I think opens many doors for further cooperation and makes my life as a German ambassador working in Kazakhstan much easier. And that’s why I enjoy working here as well. So, thank you for that.