Minister of Trade and Integration of the Republic of Kazakhstan Arman Shakkaliyev held a telephone conversation with Canada's Minister of International Trade, Maninder Sidhu. The parties discussed expanding trade and economic cooperation and identified areas for further joint work.
Today, more than 160 joint ventures with Canadian capital operate in Kazakhstan. At the same time, according to the parties' assessment, the current volume of mutual trade does not yet reflect the existing potential for cooperation.
In this regard, Arman Shakkaliyev proposed moving towards the implementation of flagship joint projects and preparing a joint action plan for Kazakhstan and Canada with specific priorities and projects. The possibility of developing initiatives within the "Made with Canada" approach and expanding the presence of Canadian products in the Kazakhstani market was separately noted.
"We have prepared a list of potential Kazakhstani export goods across 45 product categories totaling approximately 255 million US dollars. We are ready to work together with the Canadian side to identify specific mechanisms for promoting these products to the Canadian market. At the same time, Kazakhstan can become an important platform for Canadian partners to enter the markets of China and other countries in the region," noted Arman Shakkaliyev.
Special attention was paid to cooperation in the field of nuclear energy. The Canadian side proposed exchanging experience in implementing small modular reactor projects, including the Darlington SMR project, as well as CANDU technology. The parties also discussed the prospects for Canadian companies' participation in the implementation of Kazakhstan's plans for the development of nuclear energy.
Cooperation in the field of critical minerals and the mining industry was identified as a promising area. Kazakhstan and Canada have significant experience in this sphere, and the further task is to transition from raw material interaction to the development of processing and production of goods with higher added value.
In the field of agriculture, the parties considered the possibilities of applying Canadian agricultural technologies to increase productivity and more efficiently use water and other resources. The development of agricultural product processing was also discussed.
"Regarding agriculture, Canadian companies in the field of agricultural technologies can help increase yields with less use of fertilizers and water, which will contribute to ensuring your food security," noted Maninder Sidhu.
Another area of cooperation could be the aerospace industry. The Canadian side expressed readiness to expand interaction, including in the field of firefighting aviation and the use of relevant Canadian aircraft and technologies.
An important part of the negotiations were issues of attracting investments. The parties agreed to continue preliminary work on a possible Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (FIPA). According to the Canadian side, such a mechanism can contribute to expanding investment cooperation, particularly in the mining industry, agriculture, and sectors related to international supply chains.
During the conversation, the possibility of utilizing the potential of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route for further diversification of foreign trade was also noted. The Kazakhstani side proposed considering the development of an economic strategy for Canada's engagement with Central Asian countries, taking into account Canada's experience in implementing the Indo-Pacific Strategy.
For practical coordination of further work, the parties agreed to prepare a joint economic plan defining priority areas, trade facilitation issues, investment interaction, and sectoral cooperation.
Arman Shakkaliyev invited Maninder Sidhu to visit Digital Bridge and the Astana International Forum. The Canadian side also invited the Kazakhstani minister to continue negotiations in Canada, including within the framework of the PDAC mining conference. In conclusion, Canada's Minister of International Trade, Maninder Sidhu, congratulated the Kazakhstani side on the recent elections and wished further success in the country's development.
