The French and Kazakh presidents seek closer ties

During an official visit by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of Kazakhstan, he and French President Emmanuel Macron expressed their intention to strengthen the strategic partnership between their countries, with particular emphasis on cooperation in the energy sector, including nuclear energy. The visit follows a history of bilateral engagement, with the strategic partnership established in 2008 and Tokayev and Macron visiting each other’s countries for the third year consecutively. President Tokayev underscored Kazakhstan’s role as a major supplier of oil and uranium to the European Union and expressed his readiness to support France’s energy sovereignty, particularly in the field of civil nuclear energy, taking advantage of Kazakhstan’s status as the world’s largest uranium producer. With EDF, Tokayev explored the prospects for cooperation in the energy sector, particularly following a recent national referendum in Kazakhstan in favour of the construction of a nuclear power plant. EDF is one of the potential suppliers of nuclear technology and the idea of forming an international consortium to implement the project was discussed. Tokayev extended an invitation to Macron to make a state visit to Kazakhstan next year and encouraged French entrepreneurs to attend May’s Astana International Forum. This ongoing dialogue reflects a strong commitment to strengthening Kazakh-French relations, particularly in the field of energy cooperation.