Germany remains Kazakhstan’s key strategic partner in Europe. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and German Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier held talks in Berlin, seeking to deepen bilateral relations ahead of the 35th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries, DKNews.kz reports.
The talks took place on September 29 during Tokayev’s official visit to Germany. Steinmeier said he expected the visit to give additional momentum to cooperation between Astana and Berlin.
Kazakhstan and Germany approach 35 years of diplomatic ties
The official programme began with a welcome ceremony at Germany’s Federal Ministry of Defence.
Tokayev and Steinmeier introduced members of their delegations, followed by a ceremonial report from the commander of the guard of honour and the national anthems of Kazakhstan and Germany.
The two presidents then proceeded to the residence of the German Federal President, where Tokayev signed the Guest Book of Honour.
During the subsequent talks, Tokayev described Germany as Kazakhstan’s key strategic partner in Europe and said bilateral relations were built on mutual trust, respect and shared interests.
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Next year will mark 35 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between Kazakhstan and Germany.
Steinmeier expects new momentum from Tokayev’s visit
Steinmeier highlighted Tokayev’s personal contribution to the development of cooperation between the two countries.
The German President expressed confidence that the current visit would give fresh momentum to bilateral relations and help move them to a new level.
The narrow-format meeting set the political framework for a broader agenda that now extends well beyond traditional diplomacy.
Expanded talks later focused on trade, investment and practical cooperation. Tokayev said bilateral trade reached $4.5 billion in 2025 and exceeded $2.6 billion in the first seven months of 2026. More than 1,400 companies with German capital are currently registered in Kazakhstan, according to figures cited by the President.
Business and investment give the partnership practical weight
The political talks come alongside an extensive economic programme during Tokayev’s visit.
In Berlin, the Kazakh President has held meetings with German companies, business associations and financial institutions, with discussions covering investment, logistics, industrial localisation, critical raw materials, digital technologies and artificial intelligence.
This gives the meeting with Steinmeier a broader economic context: Kazakhstan is seeking to use the political relationship with Germany to support concrete investment and technology projects.
Tokayev said German companies including CLAAS Group, Rhenus Logistics, Siemens Energy and Linde already provide examples of practical bilateral cooperation. He also put cumulative German investment in Kazakhstan over the past 20 years at $8 billion.
The Berlin talks therefore set the political foundation for the next stage of Kazakhstan-Germany relations, while the practical test will be the projects and agreements that emerge from the investment, industrial and technology agenda accompanying the visit.
Earlier, we reported on why Berlin and Munich have become the two key stops on Tokayev’s official visit to Germany. The programme combines high-level political talks with meetings focused on business, investment, technology, universities and research institutions.
