The European Commission delegation continued talks on establishing a steady supply chain of critical raw materials, batteries, and green hydrogen with Kazakhstan at the Ministry of Industry and Infrastructural Development, QazMonitor reports.
Ministry officials and EU representatives met on Wednesday, February 8, to discuss the contents of a draft roadmap that was developed during the COP 27 summit in Egypt last November.
Then-vice minister Marat Karabayev had said during the summit that Kazakhstan was ready to supply the EU with all 30 critical raw materials (CRMs) it needs.
CRMs, like lithium, graphite, and rare earth metals, are scarce yet economically essential goods for the development of EU countries.
For the EU, securing a sustainable supply of raw materials allows the development of renewable hydrogen and battery value chains to support a green and digitalized economy.
Kazakhstan benefits from the transfer of technology through direct contact between producers and consumers as well as technical assistance.
Strengthening cooperation in these areas has since become an ongoing topic cemented with a memorandum on strategic partnership signed between Kazakhstan and the EU at COP27.
The Wednesday talks mostly focused on the logistical and legal aspects of creating value chains and value-added costs.
The meeting concluded with both parties congratulating each other on the 30th anniversary of the diplomatic ties between Kazakhstan and the EU.