ASTANA, Kazakhstan, October 11. Minister of Industry and Construction of Kazakhstan Kanat Sharlapaev held a series of meetings in Paris with top French companies to advance joint industrial projects between Kazakhstan and France, Trend reports, citing the Ministry of Industry and Construction.
Currently, Kazakhstan and France are collaborating on eight industrial projects worth a total of $574.6 million, creating nearly 2,000 jobs. During the meetings, the minister engaged with representatives from Orano Group to discuss an agreement on diluting highly enriched uranium between UMP JSC and Orano. The French delegation included the company's CEO and senior leadership.
He also met with Christophe Poinsot, Deputy Director General of BRGM, and Cyrille Bellier, Director of AFD for Asia, the Middle East, and Europe, to discuss a grant exceeding 1 million euros for studying the Balkhash basin. The AFD Group, dedicated to financing projects for a more sustainable world, manages over 3,600 initiatives globally.
A significant topic of discussion was Kazakhstan's cooperation on critical materials, particularly with the European Raw Materials Alliance. While Kazakhstan produces 19 types of critical raw materials, there is potential for collaboration on the 14 materials not yet produced, despite the country’s strong resource base.
The minister also engaged with leaders from InfraVia Capital Partners and Air Liquide, which focuses on supplying industrial gases, including oxygen, nitrogen, and hydrogen. In energy, Kanat Sharlapaev held talks with EDF, a key player in nuclear power, which is a contender for constructing Kazakhstan’s first nuclear plant and is involved in research on Lake Balkhash.
Discussions also took place with Alstom, which has been active in Kazakhstan since 2010, employing over 1,000 people in railway transport. The company is working on a contract for 205 KZ6 electric locomotives. Additionally, bilateral talks were held with Sophie Prima, Minister-Delegate for Foreign Trade, and representatives from Suez and Veolia to explore joint wastewater management projects.