Astana, 2 October 2026 – Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan Mukhtar Tileuberdi held talks with Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Denmark Lars Løkke Rasmussen, who arrived in Kazakhstan on an official visit.
The parties discussed the current state and prospects for further strengthening mutually beneficial Kazakh-Danish cooperation and exchanged views on key issues of the regional and international agenda.
Particular attention was paid to further expanding trade and economic cooperation. The parties noted the steady growth in bilateral trade and foreign direct investment. ( In 2025, bilateral trade reached USD 163 million, while the cumulative volume of Danish direct investment in Kazakhstan’s economy since 2005 exceeded USD 394 million).
One of the most significant joint investment projects is the construction by Carlsberg Group of a plant for the production of PepsiCo non-alcoholic beverages in the Ili District of Almaty Region. The opening ceremony took place on
1 October with the participation of Danish Foreign Minister Lars Rasmussen. With an investment of USD 344 million, the plant is set to become one of Carlsberg Group’s largest production facilities worldwide, with an annual production capacity of up to 1 billion litres and the creation of 230 new jobs.
Particular attention was also devoted to the participation of both countries in the development of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route and its role in strengthening transport connectivity between Europe and Asia. In this context, the parties discussed prospects for cooperation with the Danish company Maersk with a view to increasing trade flows along the Middle Corridor.
“ Denmark is an important partner for us in Northern Europe. We attach great importance to the development of our bilateral relations and seek to give greater substance to our trade and economic cooperation through concrete and significant projects ”, – the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan stated.
For his part, Lars Løkke Rasmussen reaffirmed Denmark’s interest in further expanding cooperation with Kazakhstan, noting the growing importance of Central Asia in Denmark’s foreign policy and economic agenda, as well as the appointment of Lars Thuesen as Ambassador of Denmark to Kazakhstan and Special Representative of the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Central Asia.
The Ministers also exchanged views on current international and regional issues, cooperation within the United Nations and other multilateral frameworks, as well as prospects for further developing cooperation between the countries of Central Asia and Northern Europe.
On the same day, in the city of Konaev, Lars Løkke Rasmussen, heading a high-level Danish business delegation, took part in the Kazakh-Danish Business Forum, which brought together representatives of the business communities of the two countries. The discussions focused on expanding business ties, attracting Danish investment and implementing joint projects in priority sectors of Kazakhstan’s economy.
Following the talks, the Ministers signed memoranda of understanding, including a Memorandum of Understanding on the establishment of a bilateral commission on trade, economic and investment cooperation between the foreign ministries of Kazakhstan and Denmark.
