Kazakhstan–Switzerland Partnership Reaches a New Level at the Business Council Platform

On 28 November 2025, the 5th meeting of the Kazakhstan–Switzerland Business Council was held with the participation of senior government officials, representatives of leading companies, and business associations from both countries. The Chamber of International Commerce of Kazakhstan took part in the event.

The meeting opened with speeches from the heads of delegations, including Serik Zhumangarin, Deputy Prime Minister – Minister of National Economy of the Republic of Kazakhstan; Guy Parmelin, Vice President of the Swiss Confederation; and the Co-Chairs of the Council, Talgat Aldybergenov and Peter Spuhler.

During the Business Council, the parties discussed prospects for cooperation in key sectors such as industry, transport, engineering, healthcare, and agriculture. A ceremony of exchanging the signed documents also took place, underscoring the high level of institutional interaction between the two countries.

A significant part of the programme was dedicated to trade and economic cooperation. Murat Karimsakov, Chairman of the Board of the KazCIC, outlined the key indicators and reaffirmed the substantial potential for further strengthening the partnership. In his speech, he emphasized: “Switzerland is a strategic partner of Kazakhstan in Western Europe. Our countries have built strong cooperation that includes regular high-level political contacts, active interparliamentary dialogue, and the stable development of bilateral economic ties.”

Trade and economic cooperation between the countries continues to show sustainable growth. In 2024, bilateral trade increased by 26% and amounted to USD 1.74 billion. In the first half of 2025, mutual trade reached USD 623.2 million. The gross inflow of foreign direct investment from 2005 to 2024 exceeded USD 35.3 billion. Kazakhstan’s exports consist mainly of energy resources, precious stones and metals, as well as aluminium, copper, and coal. Imports include pharmaceuticals, watches, engineering and chemical products, precious stones and metals, and jewellery.

Continuing the discussion, Murat Karimsakov noted that around 300 legal entities with Swiss capital and more than 100 joint ventures operate in Kazakhstan. He listed the leading Swiss companies that have been developing industrial, technological, and investment cooperation in Kazakhstan for many years. These include Stadler Rail, the world’s leading manufacturer of rolling stock; Philip Morris International, the first foreign investor in Kazakhstan; Glencore, co-founder of “Kazzinc”; pharmaceutical companies Roche and Novartis; as well as SGS, Syngenta, Swissgrow, INOKS Capital, Mabco Construction, Ammann Group, Clariant, Sika, Comlux, and Eurasian Foods Corporation / Ursem Holding.

Special attention was given to the agro-industrial sector, one of the fastest-growing areas of Kazakhstan–Switzerland cooperation. Three major projects involving Swiss capital were highlighted. The first is an initiative by Eurasia Swiss Holding AG in the Kostanay region, involving approximately USD 62 million in investments to create modern dairy farms, a plant, and a training centre. The second is the formation of an agro-industrial cluster in the Kyzylorda region together with Harvest Agro and Inoks Capital SA, which envisages cultivating industrial crops across 20,000 hectares and creating more than 150 jobs. The third project involves the introduction of advanced irrigation systems by Harvest Kazakhstan, which plans to convert about 30,000 hectares of land to irrigated agriculture in seven regions. The total investment volume amounts to USD 500 million, and more than 1,000 permanent jobs will be created.

Against the backdrop of growing investment initiatives, the signing of a Memorandum between the Chamber of International Commerce of Kazakhstan and the Joint Chamber of Commerce of Switzerland became an important step in deepening the partnership. This document will establish a foundation for systematic and regular dialogue between the business communities of Kazakhstan and Switzerland, strengthen institutional ties, and elevate cooperation to a new, more structured and practice-oriented level.

The meeting concluded with a series of B2B and B2G sessions, giving participants an opportunity to discuss further steps to expand commercial and investment cooperation.