Kazakhstan, France agree on strategic minerals cooperation

ASTANA. Nov 1 (Interfax) - Kazakhstan and France have signed a joint declaration of intent to cooperate in strategic minerals, the Kazakh leader's press service said on Wednesday.

The document was signed after talks between Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and French President Emmanuel Macron during Macron's visit to Astana.

The sides also signed an agreement on cooperation, license and supplies between the QazBioPharm company and the Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health France on the production of foot-and-mouth disease vaccine in Kazakhstan. Other projects included a joint venture agreement to build 1-GW total capacity wind farms with an energy accumulation system, and an agreement on investment in production and maintenance of rail locomotives and rolling stock, as well as parts for rail equipment in Kazakhstan.

Samruk-Kazyna and KazMunayGas are the Kazakh parties on the wind farm project, the Samruk-Kazyna 's press service said.

"The project will be implemented in two phases, with the launch of first 300 megawatt capacity to be followed by the remaining 700 megawatt. The wind farms will have electrical power accumulation systems to help reduce the risk of the network's instability due to interruptions in wind generation," it said.

Total Eren, the joint venture's French party, is a global leader in renewable energy. The company's portfolio includes over 2,400 megawatt in installed capacities and more than 2,000 megawatt at the development stage.

The two countries' delegations have signed an agreement between their governments to establish a French Development Agency in Kazakhstan, the press service said.

The parties also signed an intergovernmental agreement in establishing international (French) schools in Kazakhstan and teaching French in Kazakhstan's secondary schools.

Earlier at the talks, Tokayev said Kazakhstan needs to promote French culture and French language teaching, while Macron announced the opening of a Franco-Kazakh university in Kazakhstan in September 2024.