Prime Minister Alikhan Smailov held talks with EBRD Vice President Alain Pilloux

Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan Alikhan Smailov held a meeting with Vice President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development for Banking Operations Alain Pilloux.

During the meeting, issues of further cooperation between Kazakhstan and the EBRD on the implementation of joint projects in a number of areas, including attracting investments and environmental issues, were considered. In particular, the parties discussed the results of the EBRD's activities in the Republic of Kazakhstan for 2021 and current plans for 2022.

Government and business of Kazakhstan are actively cooperating with the EBRD on infrastructure projects, on supporting SMEs through the financial, municipal, and corporate sectors.

“We highly appreciate the strategic nature of our interaction with the EBRD. This year, Kazakhstan and the EBRD celebrate the 30th anniversary of cooperation. Over the three decades of our partnership, we have successfully implemented about 300 projects worth over $10 billion in various sectors of the economy,” Smailov said.

Further cooperation will be carried out within the framework of the new EBRD Country Strategy for Kazakhstan for 2022-2026. The document includes the interaction of the parties on such issues as increasing the competitiveness of private entrepreneurship, supporting green policies and carbon neutrality, as well as promoting economic integration and gender equality through the participation of the private sector.

“Today, there is a steady trend of decarbonization of the major economies of the world. The number of countries that have declared goals for carbon neutrality and the abandonment of coal is growing every year. Kazakhstan is also actively following the global trends of green development,” the Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan said.

In turn, Pilloux highly appreciated the progress of ongoing reforms in Kazakhstan and expressed interest in expanding bilateral cooperation on a wide range of issues.