The EU shares a growing interest in closer cooperation in the area of sustainable connectivity, in particular modern, reliable, clean and efficient railway and railway passenger transportation; development of the Middle Corridor, especially important in the current geopolitical situation; rapid development of the civil aviation; and modern and reliable digital networks.

In December 2021, the European Commission proposed the Global Gateway – a coherent framework to channel investment in infrastructure and its enabling environment towards key regions and projects.
Global Gateway builds on the EU-Asia Connectivity Strategy adopted in 2018, extending the geographical scope to become a global strategy. Post COVID and post-COP26, the strategy goes beyond energy, digital, transport and people to people contacts, to include health, education, research and innovation. Global Gateway is expected to mobilise up to €300 billion in 2021-2027 through the European Fund for Sustainable Development+ and EU Member States’ financial and development institutions.

The EU-Kazakhstan Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (EPCA) provides a solid ground for deepening cooperation with Kazakhstan in the area of sustainable connectivity, and creating new opportunities for trade and investment. The EU is also looking forward to the EU-Central Asia Conference on Connectivity, planned in Samarkand in July.

The Platform of dialogue at high level complements the technical dialogue between the EU and Kazakhstan within the EPCA, in particular the Cooperation Committee in Trade Configuration, which took place earlier in March 2022.  

Background Information

The EU-Kazakhstan Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (EPCA), fully in force from 1 March 2020, aims at creating a better regulatory environment for businesses in areas such as trade in services, establishment and operation of companies, capital movements, raw materials and energy, intellectual property rights. It is a tool of regulatory convergence between Kazakhstan and the EU, with some “WTO plus” provisions, notably on public procurement.

In 2021, the total EU trade with Kazakhstan reached €22.9 billion, which is an increase from 2020 and close to the pre-pandemic level of €24.1 billion in 2019. EU exports reached €5.5 billion and imports from Kazakhstan reached €17.5 billion. The EU is by far Kazakhstan's first trading partner overall.