Karl-Ernst Brauner: Kazakhstan - the most important political and economic partner of Germany in Central Asia

The visit was aimed at promotion of Kazakhstan's bid to host EXPO international exhibition in Astana in 2017.

Within the visit R.Zhoshybayev held a meeting with German Federal Vice Minister of Economics and Technology Karl-Ernst Brauner, who is a co-Chairman of the Kazakh-German intergovernmental working group for trade-economic cooperation. The Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology is a competent body with responsibility for EXPO.

Within the talks the topical aspects of the bilateral political and trade-economic relations were touched upon. K.Brauner noted that Kazakhstan is the most important political and economic partner in Central Asia for Germany.

According to the German side's data, over the first half of 2011 the volume of trade turnover of Germany with Kazakhstan increased by 26 percent and exceeded EUR 3.5 bln. The volume of the mutual trade of Germany with Kazakhstan makes 63 percent of the whole trade turnover of Germany with eight countries of Central Asia and Caucasus.

The Kazakh diplomat, in his turn, familiarized K.Brauner with main directions of the state program of forced industrial innovative development implemented in Kazakhstan as well as the Kazakhstan Strategic Development Plan till 2020, which defines key directions of the country's modernization for a ten-year period.

There was held an exchange of opinions on organization and holding of the EXPO international exhibition, the main theme of which will be "Energy of the Future" with a demonstration of advanced developments and technologies in alternative energy forms and renewable energy sources.

In K.Brauner's opinion, over 20 years of independence our country has made great economic rapid progress, which promotes growth of the people's welfare and authority of our country in the international arena.