Deputy Prime Minister – Minister of National Economy Serik Zhumangarin met with President for the CIS and Central Asia region of Philip Morris International Marco Mariotti.

Opening the meeting, Serik Zhumangarin thanked the company for long-term cooperation and its contribution to the development of Kazakhstan’s economy.

“Philip Morris Kazakhstan has been one of the largest foreign investors in the country for many years. We highly appreciate the company’s contribution to job creation, the development of production potential, the introduction of modern technologies, and the strengthening of Kazakhstan’s export capabilities,” the Deputy Prime Minister noted.

During the meeting, the parties discussed the development of a draft technical regulation of the Eurasian Economic Union on nicotine-containing and nicotine-free products.

Serik Zhumangarin emphasized that Kazakhstan supports the formation of unified approaches to technical regulation within the EAEU. At the same time, the technical regulation being developed should take into account the specifics of the national legislation of the Union member states, ensure a high level of public health protection, and avoid legal conflicts in the regulation of various categories of nicotine-containing products.

Special attention was paid to the need to comply with current legislation in the field of public health protection, as well as the country’s international obligations in the field of tobacco control.

In this regard, it was noted that the Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan “On the Health of the People and the Healthcare System” establishes a ban on the import, production, sale, and distribution of smokeless tobacco products, electronic consumption systems (vapes), flavorings, and liquids for them.

Marco Mariotti informed about the company’s plans to create a modern laboratory in Kazakhstan for testing and analyzing products to serve enterprises in the EAEU countries, the South Caucasus, and Central Asia. The project is planned to be implemented at the company’s own expense in accordance with international standards.

Following the meeting, the parties confirmed their interest in continuing constructive interaction on issues of technical regulation within the framework of the Eurasian Economic Union, ensuring a favorable investment climate, and complying with the requirements of national legislation in the field of public health protection.

#Economy #Investments #Serik Zhumangarin

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