“This December marks 10 years since Kazakhstan and the European Union signed the Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (EPCA), a milestone that confirmed our shared commitment to a broad and forward-looking partnership…Today, as ever, our relationship is shaped by a shared commitment to the UN Charter and its principles, and a shared understanding that many of the global challenges can only be addressed through deeper collaboration between Europe and its close and reliable partners. One such challenge sits at the core of Europe’s long-term growth: securing the materials and technologies essential for the green and digital transitions. Europe’s dependence on a small group of suppliers for critical raw materials has become a defining question for its competitiveness,” Kosherbayev wrote in an article titled, ‘Enhancing EU-Kazakhstan cooperation for a sustainable future’ in Euronews.
“…In 2024, bilateral trade with the EU reached $48.8 billion, and more than 80% of Kazakhstan’s oil exports are directed to European markets. Looking ahead, we see an opportunity to build more secure and diversified critical minerals supply chains for Europe, an area where our resources and experience are directly relevant.”
“Recent disruptions have shown how easily supply chains can be strained by geopolitical tensions or logistical shocks. Demand for copper, graphite, rare earth elements, manganese, titanium and other transition minerals continues to grow at a pace far exceeding global supply,” the Minister pointed out.
“Kazakhstan is one of the few countries that can contribute to filling this gap. According to the EU’s own assessments, Kazakhstan can supply 21 of the 34 raw materials the EU considers critical, including several categorised as strategic. Our Sarytogan graphite project is included on the EU’s official list of Strategic Projects under the Critical Raw Materials Act. The basis for this work is strong. More than 4,000 European companies operate in Kazakhstan today. Our 2022 Strategic Partnership MoU with the EU on critical raw materials, batteries, and renewable hydrogen has strengthened the EPCA’s economic pillar. The joint 2025–2026 Roadmap now sets clear priorities – from geological exploration to value-chain development and green hydrogen.”
Expanding cooperation in key areas such as copper, manganese, titanium, rare earth elements and other essential minerals would help build a more diversified supply base for Europe and provide investors with clearer long-term visibility, according to the Kazakhstan Foreign Minister. Critical materials need sustainable and secure routes, and the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route – known as the Middle Corridor – has already become an important link between Central Asia and Europe, he pointed out.