Trade between Kazakhstan and Slovakia has shown promising growth, reaching $138.9mn in 2023, a 13.3% increase from the previous year, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported.
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Kazakhstan and Slovakia are set to advance their bilateral cooperation to a new level following recent high-level discussions in Bratislava. Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan, Roman Vassilenko, met with key Slovak officials, including Vice Prime Ministers Robert Kalinak and Peter Kmec, and other prominent leaders such as Marián Kéry, Marek Eštok, Kamil Sasko, and Peter Mihok. These meetings stressed a mutual commitment to deepening collaboration across various sectors.
During his visit, Vasilenko and Slovak counterparts discussed the current state and future prospects of their bilateral relationship. Both parties emphasized the importance of expanding political, trade, economic, cultural, and humanitarian cooperation. A focal point of the discussions was the upcoming 10th meeting of the Kazakh-Slovak Intergovernmental Commission on Economic, Scientific, and Technical Cooperation, scheduled for October 3-4, 2024, in Astana. This meeting will be co-chaired by Kazakhstan's First Vice Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources, N. Sharbiyev, and Slovakia's State Secretary of the Ministry of Economy, V. Šimonyak.
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The talks also highlighted the significant role of the Agreement on Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation between Kazakhstan and the European Union, noting the positive impact of Slovak support for simplifying the EU visa regime for Kazakh citizens. Both sides discussed further collaboration within international organizations such as the UN and OSCE.
The discussions identified opportunities for expanding trade and investment, particularly in energy, transport, mechanical engineering, defense, IT, and agriculture. The agenda for the upcoming commission meeting will include topics such as energy cooperation, transcontinental transport, new cargo routes between Europe and Asia, education, training, and water resource management.
In addition to political and economic discussions, Vasilenko participated in a business forum organized by the Council of Slovak Exporters and the Kazakh Embassy in Bratislava. He presented Kazakhstan's economic potential and new governmental objectives, highlighting the country's economic growth and investment opportunities. Vasilenko also met with Slovak business leaders and attended a round table on President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev's annual address.
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The visit included discussions on nuclear energy and small and medium-sized business reforms, with Slovak experts expressing support for Kazakhstan's initiatives. The bilateral trade volume in 2023 was noted, along with Slovakia's direct investments in Kazakhstan, which totaled $21.1mn from 2005 to early 2024.
As part of "sports diplomacy," Vasilenko attended a hockey match between Kazakhstan and Slovakia and met with Slovak archers participating in the 5th World Nomad Games in Astana. He expressed gratitude to the athletes and wished them success in the upcoming competitions.
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