BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 14. Kazakhstan and Austria have discussed ways to expand bilateral trade, economic and investment cooperation, with a particular focus on developing the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (Middle Corridor), Kazakhstan's Foreign Ministry reported.
The meeting was held in Astana between Kazakhstan's Minister of Foreign Affairs Mukhtar Tileuberdi and Severin Gruber, Secretary General of Austria's Federal Ministry for Economy, Energy and Tourism.
The meeting was also attended by Edith Hlawati, Chief Executive Officer and Sole Managing Director of Österreichische Beteiligungs AG (ÖBAG); Berislav Gašo, Member of the Executive Board and Executive Vice President for Energy at OMV; and Karl Jurka, President of the Austrian-Kazakh Connectivity Platform (AKCP).
The sides also discussed preparations for the 13th meeting of the Kazakhstan-Austria Intergovernmental Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation and the 11th meeting of the Business Council, both scheduled to take place in Vienna on November 19-20.
During the meeting, Tileuberdi briefed the Austrian delegation on the main priorities outlined in President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev's State of the Nation Address, which sets out plans for large-scale modernization of Kazakhstan's infrastructure, industry and energy sector.
Particular attention was given to expanding Kazakhstan's transport and logistics capacity and strengthening its position as a key transit link between Europe and Asia through the development of the Middle Corridor.
In this context, the minister highlighted opportunities for joint projects under the Austrian-Kazakh Connectivity Platform, including those offered by Austria's Team Austria initiative and the European Union's Global Gateway strategy.
Gruber confirmed the interest of Austrian businesses in expanding their presence in Kazakhstan. He also emphasized the importance of making full use of existing bilateral mechanisms to advance specific investment projects in energy, mechanical engineering, agriculture and agribusiness, and tourism.
The discussions also covered several priority areas, including production localization, petrochemicals, renewable energy, the development of Kazakhstan's non-resource exports, and cooperation in critical raw materials.
Both sides agreed to continue working to strengthen bilateral cooperation and identify new opportunities for joint projects.
The Austrian delegation also expressed appreciation for the comprehensive business program organized in Astana.
Austria is one of Kazakhstan's significant economic partners in Central Europe. More than 160 companies with Austrian capital are registered in Kazakhstan, while cumulative Austrian direct investment in the country has exceeded $3 billion since 2005.
In 2027, Kazakhstan and Austria will mark the 35th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations.
