Business opportunities of Kazakhstan and North Macedonia discussed in AIFC

On June 9, 2025, a round table on economic cooperation between Kazakhstan and North Macedonia was held at the Astana International Financial Center. Representatives of the two countries discussed the potential and opportunities for increasing mutual trade, investment and tourism.

Bakhtiyar Tleubekov, Financial Director and Head of Administrative Affairs of the AIFC Administration, noted in his welcoming speech: “The holding of the Kazakhstan-North Macedonia round table shows our common desire to maintain a meaningful dialogue and practical partnership between the two countries. We are confident that this platform will facilitate new opportunities and deeper cooperation in key sectors of economic cooperation."

Timcho Mutsunski, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade of North Macedonia, also addressed the representatives of the business circles of the two countries with a welcoming speech.

Bakhtiyar Tleubekov presented to the Macedonian delegation the opportunities provided by the IFC for doing business, structuring transactions and investments. Currently, more than 3,900 companies from 80+ countries, including the USA, Great Britain, China, Turkey, Singapore and others, are registered in the financial center, which is a leader in the region of Eastern Europe and Central Asia. Since its establishment in 2018, over $14.8 billion of investments have been attracted to the economy of Kazakhstan through the IFC platform.

The delegation of North Macedonia, for its part, presented the potential for attracting investments in the industrial and technological sector and for the development of tourism. For example, Gotse Dimovski, Head of the Directorate of Technological and Industrial Development Zones, made a presentation on economic cooperation, and Akkan Mahmut, National Tourism Coordinator, made a presentation on tourism.

Azamat Kozhanov, Deputy Chairman of the Board of Kazakh Invest, Chairman of the Board of Kazakh Tourism Kairat Sadvakasov and Adviser to the Chairman of the Board of the National Chamber of Entrepreneurs “Atameken” Kanat Alin spoke about the opportunities for investment cooperation, tourism and business.

According to Kanat Alin, the development of mutual trade directly depends on the activity of business circles, and there is a positive trend in this direction. Kazakhstan has created a favorable investment climate for doing business, which is facilitated by the activities of the National Chamber of Entrepreneurs "Atameken" and the Foreign Trade Chamber of Kazakhstan.

Kazakh Ambassador to North Macedonia Satybaldy Burshakov and diplomats from North Macedonia were also participants of the event.

It should be noted that trade, economic and investment relations between Kazakhstan and North Macedonia have significant potential for development. In 2024, the trade turnover between the two countries amounted to $7.4 million, which is 64.4% more than in 2023. There are 11 companies with Macedonian capital operating in our country.

It should be recalled that during a bilateral meeting on May 28, President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and President of North Macedonia Gordana Silyanovskaya-Davkova paid special attention to such promising areas of cooperation as agriculture, transport and logistics, finance and tourism. The Heads of state welcomed the decision of the Macedonian pharmaceutical company Alkaloid to open a representative office in Kazakhstan.

It is expected that the round table will be an important step towards further strengthening the partnership between the two countries and expanding mutually beneficial economic cooperation.