ASTANA, Kazakhstan, November 1. Kazakhstan remains one of the main suppliers of crude oil to the French market, and the country is ready to increase export volumes, said President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev at the opening of the Kazakh-French business forum in Astana, Trend reports.
In addition, Tokayev believes that there is also great potential for cooperation with France in the field of geological exploration for oil and gas, uranium export, and implementation of large projects in wind energy, solar energy and hydropower.
"Kazakhstan ranks first in the world in uranium production, providing more than a quarter of the nuclear fuel consumed in Europe. With nuclear power accounting for 63 percent of the French energy sector, there is huge potential for further cooperation," he said.
At the same time, Tokayev indicated that the interests of the two countries also converge in achieving zero carbon emissions in the future. Like France, Kazakhstan is a regional player in this area.
Speaking about renewable energy sources, he noted that more and more major international players are coming to Kazakhstan to implement large projects in the field of wind, solar and hydropower.
"One such project is a $1.3 billion investment by French Total Energies to create a 1 GW wind farm. There is also enormous potential in the field of green hydrogen. If the project is successfully implemented, Kazakhstan can become one of the ten largest exporters," he added.
From January through August 2023, trade turnover between Kazakhstan and France amounted to $2.7 billion, which is 21.1 percent higher than for the same period in 2022 ($2.2 billion).
Exports from Kazakhstan to France from January through August 2023 increased by 2.9 percent and amounted to $1.8 billion. Imports to Kazakhstan from France from January through August 2023 amounted to $881.8 million.
