Latest news with #EU-CentralAsiaSummit
Euronews
3 days ago
- Politics
- Euronews
Italy and Kazakhstan sign €4bn set of deals during Meloni visit
Italy and Kazakhstan have signed a set of deals worth €4bn during a visit by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to Astana. The agreements were across a variety of sectors, including oil and gas, renewable energy and water management. Meloni said she did not consider her visit "merely a formality, but substantial". "Italy was the first EU nation to have decided to invest in relations with Central Asia and its individual member states, setting up a stable format for the sharing of ideas," Meloni continued. The Italian prime minister added that the EU-Central Asia Summit held in April had elevated relations between the regions. Her Kazakh counterpart Qasym-Jomart Tokayev said his country attached "great importance to the development of trade between our states". "Italy is Kazakhstan's third largest trading partner and the largest within the European Union. The volume of trade has reached 20 billion dollars (€17.6bn)," Tokayev noted. Before heading to Kazakhstan, Meloni visited Uzbekistan for the first leg of a Central Asian trip that began on Wednesday. For the occasion, one of the city of Samarkand's main streets was given the name "via di Roma", Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev said. At the meeting between Meloni and Mirziyoyev, a joint declaration was signed that paves the way for €3bn in agreements between the countries. Twenty-five individuals suspected of involvement in two kidnapping attempts earlier in May and targeted individuals tied to the cryptocurrency world are set to appear before a Paris court on Friday. According to French media reports, magistrates are expected to decide whether or not to indict the suspects. The suspects are suspected of involvement in the mid-May kidnapping attempt, which targeted the family of Pierre Noizat, the CEO and co-founder of cryptocurrency platform Paymium. The attack occurred in broad daylight in Paris' 11th arrondissement and sent shockwaves across France after a witness shared a video of the incident on social media. The suspects' involvement in another kidnapping attempt, which was set be carried out in the city of Nantes, but was foiled on Monday, will also be determined. Investigators are working to establish whether a single network could be behind the two separate kidnapping attempts. In response to the increasing number of violent attacks against cryptocurrency professionals and in the aftermath of the attack targeting Noizat's family, French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau convened an emergency meeting with industry leaders in mid-May. During the meeting, Retailleau outlined ways of ensuring their security, including a plan to give them access to special emergency contact numbers. "These serial kidnappings will be combated with specific tools, both immediate and short-term, to prevent, deter and hinder in order to protect the industry," Retailleau said after the meeting.
Euronews
23-04-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
Kazakhstan's top judge courts closer EU ties amid push for legal reforms
ADVERTISEMENT Elvira Azimova, Chair of Kazakhstan's Constitutional Court, said her visit was part of the 'follow-up' to the recent EU-Central Asia Summit, which brought together top officials from both regions. 'My schedule includes meetings with practically all the key European institutions except the European Commission,' she noted, framing her presence in the EU capital as part of a broader effort to engage in 'multilateral cooperation'. The renewed outreach comes as Kazakhstan attempts to present itself as a modernising state with legal institutions ready to support reforms. The Constitutional Court, reinstated in 2023 after a constitutional referendum, is still in its early stages but has already reviewed around 70 cases for compliance with both national and international law, according to Azimova. She pointed to President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev's 'Fair Kazakhstan' agenda as evidence of progress. 'We are building a state that hears, that listens to its population,' she said, insisting that civil society plays an active role in the country's governance. She also cited digitalisation, green technology, and AI as areas where Kazakhstan hopes to deepen ties with the EU, while acknowledging that such initiatives will require significant legal adaptation. Kazakhstan's government has been under international scrutiny over the years for its human rights record, lack of political plurality, and crackdowns on dissent. While reforms have been promised, including in the judiciary, their implementation remains patchy. Freedom observers argue that genuine independence of the judiciary and constitutional checks on executive power are still limited. Yet, Azimova stressed that the Court is committed to upholding not just domestic laws but also Kazakhstan's obligations under international treaties, especially those stemming from the UN system. Accession to European treaties remains a long-term goal, she said, citing interests in conventions related to women's rights and cybercrime. 'It is important to ensure that legislation would be properly and comprehensively applied,' she said, suggesting that effective dispute resolution and judicial review would be key to achieving that. Despite the overtures, some question the depth of EU engagement. 'We hope that the EU will also take a step forward towards Kazakhstan,' Azimova said, hinting at the asymmetry in interest and action. Geopolitical competition in Central Asia intensifies — with Russia, China and the West all vying for influence.
Euronews
10-04-2025
- Business
- Euronews
Kazakhstan discovers rare earths reserve said to be third-largest in the world
ADVERTISEMENT On the eve of the EU-Central Asian Summit in Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan announced the discovery of a large deposit of rare earth elements. The find was made in Karagandy, the central region of Kazakhstan. Now dubbed "New Kazakhstan," the deposit is said to have almost 1 million tonnes of cerium, lanthanum, neodymium and yttrium, elements used as components in devices such as smartphones, digital cameras and computer hard disks. 'Four prospective areas have been identified within the site with total estimated rare earth reserves reaching 935,400 tonnes," said the spokesperson for Kazakhstan's Ministry of Industry and Construction. Preliminary estimates suggest that the total reserves at the "New Kazakhstan" site could reach up to 20 million tonnes at a depth of 300 meters, with an average rare earth content of 700 grams per tonne. If confirmed, this would place Kazakhstan among the world's top three countries in terms of rare earth reserves. However, experts have called for caution. Georgiy Freiman, the executive committee chair of the Professional Association of Independent Mining Experts (PONEN), said things were still at an early stage. 'In order to call it a deposit, you, first, need to fully study all the elements in the area with mineralisation,' he said, stressing that more exploratory work is required. 'You need to study hydrogeology, geomechanics, as well as assess the feasibility of extraction and in what form they can be extracted. You need to conduct an economic assessment, taking into account the market situation, the needs of relevant industries," he added. "Only when all these factors are analysed, and an economic model is developed can it truly be called a deposit. Without that, it remains mere speculation.' Strategic announcement Exploration of the site began in 2022, with findings reported to the Kazakh government in October 2024. Analysts said the timing of the public announcement — just before the EU-Central Asia Summit — was strategic. During the summit, the EU announced its intention to deepen cooperation with Kazakhstan, endorsing a new Roadmap for 2025–2026, which envisages 'enhanced cooperation on geological exploration, research and innovation". 'The announcement was well timed because it increased the importance of Kazakhstan in the whole discussion about the critical raw materials," said Aleška Simkić, the EU's ambassador to Kazakhstan. ADVERTISEMENT "I think it succeeded in putting Kazakhstan on the map for EU," she added, before saying that there were "still some challenges" ahead for the mining of rare earth minerals in the Central Asian country. What's next? According to the exploration company that made the initial discovery, developing the site could take up to six years and could require around $10 million (€9.03m) in investment. Arthur Poliakov, the executive chairman of the MINEX Forum, believes that it will take between 10 and 12 years for any ore to be extracted. Kazakhstan currently lacks the necessary technologies for deep processing of rare earth elements and will need the support of foreign partners. ADVERTISEMENT Poliakov noted that China is likely to be involved in this process as they are the biggest consumer of rare earth metals and the largest producer of commodities made using them, including batteries and solar panels. 'The second player will probably be the European Union. Why? Because the green agenda, green technology, everything related to sustainable development of sustainable energy resources is a priority there," Poliakov said. "The main problem is logistics. The EU and Kazakhstan are far apart, which is why they need to develop the Middle Corridor,' he added. Related Without access to rare earths, Europe's security would be at major risk Unlike others 'we're reliable', EU tells Central Asia, as it seeks greater access to rare earths For now, it is thought that Kazakhstan's national mining company Tau-Ken Samruk will take the lead on the next stage of development. ADVERTISEMENT This includes pre-investment work such as additional geological studies, technology selection and feasibility assessments. 'We are looking at two options: an auction or a local company. There's the Tau-Ken Samruk national company, which engages in developing deposits. The decision has not been made yet,' said Almas Kushumov, director of the Department of Subsoil Use at the Kazakh Ministry of Industry and Construction.
Euronews
12-02-2025
- Business
- Euronews
EU remains key political and trade partner, says Kazakhstan president
The European Council president António Costa recently had a telephone conversation with the president of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, reiterating the importance of further deepening engagement. This is under the EU Strategy for Central Asia and the Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement. Tokayev emphasised that the EU continues to be an important trade and political partner for Kazakhstan. The leaders also talked about major issues defining bilateral cooperation, such as developing economic and trade links, strengthening political dialogue and implementing joint projects in the fields of logistics, energy, sustainable development, transport and digital transformation. Costa also showered praise on Kazakhstan for going a long way in building up stability in the region and advancing reforms. Both Tokayev and Costa reiterated their commitment to preserving constructive dialogues and taking cooperation further with issues of mutual interest. In an online post on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, Costa said: "In my phone call with the President of Kazakhstan @TokayevKZ, I expressed our appreciation for the strategic cooperation we have established together. Kazakhstan is an important partner of the EU, and we will continue to strengthen trade and connectivity links. "I commended Kazakhstan's principled stance in supporting a rules-based international order. We agreed to continue cooperating closely in support of multilateralism, territorial integrity, and the peaceful settlement of conflicts. "I look forward to our discussions in Samarkand during the first-ever EU-Central Asia Summit in April." Currently, the EU is Kazakhstan's main investment partner, with foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows from the EU coming up to $6.4 billion (€6.2bn) in the first three quarters of last year. Trade turnover between the EU and Kazakhstan hit $48.7bn (€47.3bn) last year, which was a surge of 18% compared to the corresponding period in 2023. This made up 80% of the overall trade turnover in Central Asia.
