[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”!!! PLEASE DO NOT EDIT !!!” _builder_version=”4.19.5″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row admin_label=”!!! PLEASE DO NOT EDIT !!!” _builder_version=”4.19.5″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.19.5″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text admin_label=”TO BE EDITED – SUMMARY – Click on the WHEEL icon to open the textarea where you can paste or type your summary. The summary condenses the main points for the news that starts below. The summary is in bold and not longer than 300 characters, including spaces. The counter at the bottom can help.” _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”||20px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
Director of the Center for Health Economics at Kazakhstan’s National Research Center for Health Development wrote an article titled “Analysis of healthcare productivity indicators of the Republic of Kazakhstan based on the National Health Accounts” in “The Scientific Heritage,” published in Budapest, Hungary, on March 3, 2023.<\/strong><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=”TO BE EDITED – TEXT OF THE NEWS – BLOCK 1 – Click on the WHEEL icon to open the textarea where you can paste or type your news. PLEASE USE ONLY THE FEATURED IMAGE FUNCTION on your right column to add the image.” _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”||1em||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Kazakhstan\u2019s Deputy Foreign Minister Roman Vassilenko emphasized<\/strong> the importance of cooperation with the European Union (EU) as a key priority in Kazakhstan\u2019s pragmatic multi-vector foreign policy. <\/strong>Kazakh Deputy Foreign Minister Roman Vassilenko<\/strong> said:<\/p>\n \u201cThe EU is Kazakhstan’s largest trade and investment partner, accounting for approximately 40% of the country\u2019s foreign trade and 45% of attracted investments since 2005.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n From January to November 2023, trade turnover between Kazakhstan and the EU reached $37.7 billion<\/strong>, a 3.2%<\/strong> increase from the same period in 2022. Exports accounted for $28.1 billion<\/strong>, while imports stood at $9.6 billion<\/strong>. However, direct foreign investment inflow from the EU decreased by 9%<\/strong> in the first three quarters of 2023, amounting to $7.8 billion<\/strong>. In 2022, EU investments totaled $12.5 billion<\/strong>, a 23%<\/strong> rise from 2021, with major contributions from countries such as the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Germany, and Italy.<\/p>\n Kazakhstan hosts over 3,000<\/strong> companies with European capital, including major corporations such as Shell, Total, and Alstom. The bilateral relationship has evolved significantly since the first Partnership and Cooperation Agreement<\/strong> in 1995. The Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (EPCA)<\/strong>, signed in 2015 and enforced in 2020, remains the most comprehensive agreement between the EU and any Central Asian nation, covering 29 cooperation areas<\/strong>.<\/p>\n The partnership has deepened with increased high-level engagements. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev hosted European Council President Charles Michel in Astana in October 2022, followed by visits from Josep Borrell, the EU\u2019s High Representative for Foreign Affairs. In October 2022, Kazakhstan initiated the first EU-Central Asia Summit<\/strong> in Astana, with the second meeting held in Cholpon-Ata, Kyrgyzstan, in June 2023.<\/p>\n In 2023, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Murat Nurtleu strengthened diplomatic ties through visits to Brussels and Luxembourg, meeting key EU leaders and participating in the Kazakhstan-EU Cooperation Council<\/strong> and Central Asia-EU Ministerial Meetings<\/strong>. Almaty hosted the second Central Asia-EU Economic Forum<\/strong>, attended by senior EU representatives. Future visits from European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and other EU officials are expected in 2024.<\/p>\n Kazakhstan is focusing on fully implementing the EPCA with special emphasis on the economy, trade, investments, transportation, green transition, and critical raw materials. Over the past 15 years, the country has invested $35 billion<\/strong> in transport infrastructure to enhance connectivity across the region.<\/p>\n\n