Strengthening EU-Kazakhstan relations - What role for trade and the supply of critical raw materials?

The Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (EPCA), which entered into force on 1 March 2020, governs trade and economic relations between the European Union and Kazakhstan. Kazakhstan is the first Central Asian partner to have concluded an EPCA with the EU, and the EU is Kazakhstan’s biggest overall trading partner, accounting for 40% of its external trade.A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Strategic Partnerships on Sustainable Raw Materials, Batteries, and Renewable Hydrogen Value Chains was signed on 7 November 2022. The MoU provides a political framework for enhanced cooperation between the EU and Kazakhstan, particularly in light of the current geopolitical context.This strategic partnership aligns with the EU's policy to guarantee access to a secure, diversified, cost-effective and sustainable supply of critical raw materials and refined materials, which is seen as crucial for the green and digital transitions, as well as for the decarbonisation of energy production.Coinciding with EU Raw Materials Week, this Euractiv Hybrid Conference will discuss EU-Kazakh trade and economic relations. Questions to be discussed include:- What role can the MoU on Strategic Partnerships on Sustainable Raw Materials, Batteries, and Renewable Hydrogen Value Chains play in this context?- How will the MoU contribute to the green and digital transformation of both economies?- How can the MoU serve to strengthen EU-Kazakh relations more generally?