7th Meeting of the Kazakhstan-Canada Business Council Was Held in Astana
The 7th meeting of the Kazakhstan-Canada Business Council (KCBC) was held in Astana. The event was attended by more than 100 people, including the leadership of government agencies of the Republic of Kazakhstan, representatives of the business community of both countries.
Alibek Kuantyrov, Deputy Foreign Minister, delivered a welcoming speech on behalf of the Government of Kazakhstan at the opening of the meeting. Also speaking were the co-chairs of the KCBC – Meirzhan Yussupov, Chairman of the Management Board of Kazatomprom JSC, and Tim Gitzel, Chief Executive Officer of Cameco Corporation.
"The annual trade turnover between Kazakhstan and Canada consistently stands at approximately $500 million. Today, more than 160 enterprises with Canadian participation are successfully operating in our country. We intend to further develop cooperation in industrial and technological areas, creating the conditions for the implementation of new joint projects," noted Alibek Kuantyrov, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
"Uranium mining is an important, but far from the only area of mutually beneficial cooperation between Kazakhstan and Canada. Partnerships are actively developing in the mining and metallurgy, oil and gas, and agriculture sectors. I am confident that the Kazakhstan-Canada Business Council will continue to facilitate the expansion of this partnership and provide additional impetus to the development of our economies," said Meirzhan Yussupov, Chairman of the Management Board of Kazatomprom JSC.
The Kazakhstan-Canada Business Council is the key mechanism for advancing trade and economic dialogue between the business communities of the two countries. The Council was established in 2015 and operates under the co-chairmanship of Kazatomprom JSC on the Kazakhstani side and Cameco Corporation on the Canadian side.
The business programme featured two thematic sessions dedicated to artificial intelligence development and trade and investment cooperation in the key sectors of the bilateral agenda.
K. Sharlapayev, Chairman of the Presidium of the National Chamber of Entrepreneurs "Atameken", briefed participants on the current state of Kazakhstan's business environment and its development outlook, drawing Canadian partners' attention to systemic reforms aimed at improving conditions for investors. The management of QazTrade JSC presented existing tools for stimulating bilateral trade and expanding Kazakhstani exports to Canada. N. Reder, Vice-President of B2Gold, E. Pardy, Director of CanAgro and Vice-President of Xena Distribution, discussed prospects for joint projects in Kazakhstan's mining, energy, and agro-industrial sectors.
At the conclusion of the event, the parties reaffirmed their mutual commitment to deepening cooperation and expressed their intention to consistently implement the agreements reached during the meeting.
The strong representation of Canadian business at the forum reflects growing interest from Canadian business circles in the Kazakhstani market and underscores the country's appeal as the most reliable and secure investment jurisdiction in the region.
The 7th KCBC meeting marked another significant step in advancing the bilateral business dialogue and provided fresh impetus for the development of trade and economic relations between Kazakhstan and Canada.
