BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 8. Kazakhstan and Greece discussed prospects for strengthening bilateral cooperation, including in the energy sector.
This was announced by the press service of the Kazakh MFA, following a meeting between First Deputy Foreign Minister Yerzhan Ashikbayev and Greek Ambassador to Kazakhstan Antonia Katsourou.
The sides reviewed the current state of Kazakh-Greek relations, opportunities for their further development, cooperation within multilateral formats and the schedule of upcoming bilateral events through the end of the year.
Particular attention was paid to energy cooperation. "In this context, the parties exchanged views on the situation surrounding the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC), which is of strategic importance for ensuring the export of Kazakh oil to European markets. They emphasized the importance of the stable operation of energy infrastructure, uninterrupted and sustainable energy supplies to international markets, ensuring the safety of vessels, and freedom of navigation at sea," the statement of Kazakh MFA reads.
Katsourou confirmed Greece’s readiness to further develop cooperation with Kazakhstan in areas of mutual interest, including energy, trade, investment, transport and humanitarian ties. Following the meeting, the sides agreed to maintain regular political dialogue and continue efforts to expand Kazakh-Greek partnership across various sectors.
Diplomatic relations between Kazakhstan and Greece were established on 1 October 1992. Greece opened its embassy in Almaty in 1997 (later relocated to Astana), while Kazakhstan established its embassy in Athens in the mid-2000s. The two countries maintain steady political dialogue and cooperate through a Joint Intergovernmental Commission on Economic and Technological Cooperation. Bilateral trade has grown significantly in recent years, reaching around $2.4 billion, driven largely by Kazakhstan’s exports of crude oil and other commodities. Key areas of partnership include energy (with particular attention to reliable export routes for Kazakh oil to European markets via the Caspian Pipeline Consortium and alternative corridors), transport and logistics linked to the Middle Corridor, investment, tourism and cultural-humanitarian ties. A Greek community of approximately 8,000–12,000 people also contributes to people-to-people contacts between the two nations.
