SAMARKAND: French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Uzbekistan Wednesday night after a visit to Kazakhstan, a part of a two-day tour to spice up France’s footprint in Central Asia.
The French chief’s go to comes as European nations jostle for affect within the resource-rich area, the place Russia, China, Turkey and Europe all have financial pursuits.
Visiting Kazakhstan’s capital Astana earlier, Macron stated he wished to “strengthen …complement and speed up” France’s partnership with the nation.
Central Asia, which has lengthy been below Russian affect and was a part of the Soviet Union, is receiving growing consideration from different powers as Moscow is taken up with its warfare in Ukraine.
Macron acknowledged the “geopolitical pressures” being placed on Kazakhstan, which borders Russia to its north and China to its east.
“I don’t underestimate the geopolitical difficulties, the pressures, generally the jostling to which you will be subjected,” Macron advised Kazakhstan’s president Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.
“In a world the place nice powers wish to grow to be hegemonies and the place regional powers have gotten unpredictable,” the French president stated he welcomed Kazakhstan’s “refusal … to take the route of changing into a vassal.”
Tokayev in flip stated France was his nation’s “key and dependable associate within the EU” and that he wished to offer their partnership “additional impetus”.
“Kazakhstan is the world’s high uranium producer, contributing over 1 / 4 of nuclear gasoline consumed in Europe,” Tokayev stated.
“With nuclear energy comprising 63 % of France’s power sector, there may be huge potential for additional cooperation,” he added.
The leaders signed a collection of contracts in sectors starting from minerals and power to prescribed drugs and aerospace.
French power big EDF is within the operating to construct Kazakhstan’s first nuclear energy station — a challenge resulting from be selected in a referendum this yr.
The Elysee additionally introduced Paris would provide Floor Grasp 400 air defence radar methods to Kazakhstan to spice up the nation’s “sovereignty.”
France is the fifth-biggest international investor in Kazakhstan, forward of China, primarily due to the involvement of power big TotalEnergies within the huge Kashagan offshore oil area challenge.
The pinnacle of French uranium firm Orano, which already has a mine in Kazakhstan, is in Macron’s delegation.
Commerce turnover between France and Kazakhstan reached 5.3 billion euros ($5.6 billion) in 2022 and Kazakhstan provides round 40 % of France’s uranium wants.
China is especially energetic in Central Asia with its “New Silk Highway” challenge, however Europe and Turkey have additionally proven rising curiosity.
And Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan are resulting from go to Astana this week after Macron.
Each Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan are aiming for better financial openness and a balanced diplomacy, although Russia stays their major associate.
Kazakhstan is a part of the Collective Safety Treaty Organisation (CSTO) — a Moscow-led army alliance — together with two different central Asian states, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.
The journey to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan goals to help “curiosity in a diversification of partnerships expressed by each international locations”, a French presidency supply stated.
A number of French presidents have visited Kazakhstan because the fall of the Soviet Union, however Macron would be the first to go to Uzbekistan since 1994.
Regardless of their declared want for political liberalisation, each international locations are authoritarian states the place protests are sometimes violently repressed.
Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has put an finish to twenty years of isolation imposed by his predecessor and former mentor Islam Karimov, however there may be nonetheless no actual political opposition.
Macron prefers to emphasize the “reform dynamic” happening within the nation and has stated that the rule of legislation situation might be introduced up throughout his go to.
The French chief’s go to comes as European nations jostle for affect within the resource-rich area, the place Russia, China, Turkey and Europe all have financial pursuits.
Visiting Kazakhstan’s capital Astana earlier, Macron stated he wished to “strengthen …complement and speed up” France’s partnership with the nation.
Central Asia, which has lengthy been below Russian affect and was a part of the Soviet Union, is receiving growing consideration from different powers as Moscow is taken up with its warfare in Ukraine.
Macron acknowledged the “geopolitical pressures” being placed on Kazakhstan, which borders Russia to its north and China to its east.
“I don’t underestimate the geopolitical difficulties, the pressures, generally the jostling to which you will be subjected,” Macron advised Kazakhstan’s president Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.
“In a world the place nice powers wish to grow to be hegemonies and the place regional powers have gotten unpredictable,” the French president stated he welcomed Kazakhstan’s “refusal … to take the route of changing into a vassal.”
Tokayev in flip stated France was his nation’s “key and dependable associate within the EU” and that he wished to offer their partnership “additional impetus”.
“Kazakhstan is the world’s high uranium producer, contributing over 1 / 4 of nuclear gasoline consumed in Europe,” Tokayev stated.
“With nuclear energy comprising 63 % of France’s power sector, there may be huge potential for additional cooperation,” he added.
The leaders signed a collection of contracts in sectors starting from minerals and power to prescribed drugs and aerospace.
French power big EDF is within the operating to construct Kazakhstan’s first nuclear energy station — a challenge resulting from be selected in a referendum this yr.
The Elysee additionally introduced Paris would provide Floor Grasp 400 air defence radar methods to Kazakhstan to spice up the nation’s “sovereignty.”
France is the fifth-biggest international investor in Kazakhstan, forward of China, primarily due to the involvement of power big TotalEnergies within the huge Kashagan offshore oil area challenge.
The pinnacle of French uranium firm Orano, which already has a mine in Kazakhstan, is in Macron’s delegation.
Commerce turnover between France and Kazakhstan reached 5.3 billion euros ($5.6 billion) in 2022 and Kazakhstan provides round 40 % of France’s uranium wants.
China is especially energetic in Central Asia with its “New Silk Highway” challenge, however Europe and Turkey have additionally proven rising curiosity.
And Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan are resulting from go to Astana this week after Macron.
Each Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan are aiming for better financial openness and a balanced diplomacy, although Russia stays their major associate.
Kazakhstan is a part of the Collective Safety Treaty Organisation (CSTO) — a Moscow-led army alliance — together with two different central Asian states, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.
The journey to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan goals to help “curiosity in a diversification of partnerships expressed by each international locations”, a French presidency supply stated.
A number of French presidents have visited Kazakhstan because the fall of the Soviet Union, however Macron would be the first to go to Uzbekistan since 1994.
Regardless of their declared want for political liberalisation, each international locations are authoritarian states the place protests are sometimes violently repressed.
Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has put an finish to twenty years of isolation imposed by his predecessor and former mentor Islam Karimov, however there may be nonetheless no actual political opposition.
Macron prefers to emphasize the “reform dynamic” happening within the nation and has stated that the rule of legislation situation might be introduced up throughout his go to.
