Kazakhstan and EU Deepen Cooperation on Green Energy and Infrastructure
Kazakhstan signed memoranda of cooperation with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the European Investment Bank (EIB) on Oct. 10, aimed at expanding investment in renewable energy, hydropower, and power grid modernization.
The agreements were concluded during the Global Gateway Forum in Brussels, where Energy Minister Yerlan Akkenzhenov held high-level meetings with EU officials and heads of major financial institutions. The memoranda seek to mobilize European capital for strategic regional projects, including the Kambarata-1 Hydropower Plant and renewable initiatives across Central Asia, according to the Energy Ministry’s press service.
Akkenzhenov discussed energy security and the green transition with European Commissioners Josef Sikela and Marta Kos, as well as investment prospects with EBRD President Odile Renaud-Basso, representatives of the French Development Agency, and Italy’s Cassa Depositi e Prestiti.
On the sidelines of the Central Asia Partnership Dialogue, organized by the German Agency for International Cooperation, energy ministers from Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan discussed regional electricity trade, joint hydropower projects, and harmonization of renewable energy standards.
Kazakhstan’s Ambassador to the EU Roman Vassilenko highlighted that cooperation with international partners is key to advancing sustainable infrastructure. He recalled that nearly €10 billion (US$10.9 billion) was pledged at a 2023 Brussels investment forum to support Central Asia’s infrastructure development, adding that the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route has gained strategic importance amid global geopolitical shifts.
Photo credit: Kazakh Ministry of Energy
