President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has arrived in Paris on an official visit and held talks with French President Emmanuel Macron at the Elysee Palace, QazMonitor reports.
Tokayev thanked Macron for the invitation to visit France and noted that the meeting was a great opportunity for strengthening the strategic partnership between the two countries.
In turn, President Emmanuel Macron praised the trade and economic relations between the countries and said that they are developing at a steady pace, especially in the energy sector.
Macron announced the opening of new French language schools in Kazakhstan in 2024. The two sides exchanged views on cooperating in the fields of education and culture.
Since 2005, France is one of the five largest investor countries, having invested $17 billion in the economy of Kazakhstan. Over the past nine months, bilateral trade turnover has reached $2.5 billion. 90 percent of France's trade with Central Asia falls on Kazakhstan.
The countries jointly implement projects in the fields of energy, mining and light industry, construction, aerospace, engineering, healthcare, and the food industry.
More than 170 French companies and joint ventures operate in Kazakhstan. Among them are companies such as Total Energies, Air Liquide, Airbus, Alstom, Orano, and Danone, which are leading investors in Kazakhstan's economy.
Last year, Kazakhstan and France approved a road map for trade, economic, and investment cooperation until 2030.
As the meeting concluded, Tokayev invited Emmanuel Macron to visit Kazakhstan.