ASTANA – Kazakhstan and Germany have strong numbers to boast of when it comes to bilateral cooperation. The partnership spans a wide range of areas, including trade, hydrogen, renewables, oil, and gas, each of which has grown significantly in recent years. In a conversation with The Astana Times, Stephan Mayer, a member of the Bundestag’s Committee on Foreign Affairs, reflects on hydrogen cooperation, industrial ties, and the vibrant German community in Kazakhstan.

Stephan Mayer, a member of the Bundestag’s Committee on Foreign Affairs, reflects on hydrogen cooperation, industrial ties, and the vibrant German community in Kazakhstan. Photo credit: Tobias Koch

Since 2005, German investment in Kazakhstan’s economy has reached approximately $7.2 billion, with over 90% directed to non-resource sectors, including manufacturing, chemicals, building materials, transport, and agriculture.

Mayer emphasized the country’s strategic importance for Germany’s energy security, particularly amid global tensions and the war in Ukraine. In 2023, Kazakhstan began delivering oil to Germany through the Druzhba pipeline, with current volumes reaching around 100,000 tons per month and plans to increase to 130,000 tons by 2026.

“It was a tremendous challenge for Germany, after the beginning of the war in Ukraine, to lower its dependence on Russian crude oil and gas. We succeeded, especially because of the fact that we have partners like Kazakhstan. I’m very much convinced that in the future, fostering the ties between our two countries will play a major role,” said German MP Mayer.

At the 16th meeting of the Kazakhstan–German Business Council (KGBC) in May 2025, 63 bilateral projects were listed with a total value of $54.4 billion. Of those, 32 projects worth around $1.1 billion have been completed, while 12 are currently underway.

Beyond oil: investing in a greener future

Stephan Mayer spoke to The Astana Times correspondent Aida Haidar. Photo credit: The Astana Times

Beyond oil, both countries are investing in a greener future. Germany’s Hydrogen Diplomacy Office in Astana, its only one in Central Asia, works alongside the German-Kazakh Energy Dialogue and the Kazakhstan–Germany Hydrogen Cooperation Initiative to advance renewables, hydrogen production, and energy efficiency.

“We need more hydrogen in Germany to reduce our reliance on crude oil and gas. So we will need more hydrogen, especially green hydrogen. I think there is another potential for new cooperation between our two countries,” said Mayer, who represents the Christian Social Union in the Bundestag.

According to the German Energy Agency (dena), Kazakhstan’s vast wind and solar potential could make it one of the most promising partners for Germany’s future hydrogen supply. Joint efforts through dena and GIZ are already focused on pilot projects, regulatory frameworks, and investment conditions to support Kazakhstan’s ambition to become a regional hub for green hydrogen.

“I was told today at the Ministry of Energy that one of the world’s largest hydrogen production enterprises will be installed here in the western part of Kazakhstan. Germany will need a huge amount of hydrogen, and we won’t be able to produce it all ourselves, so we’ll be dependent on imports. In that sense, Kazakhstan can become a very important and reliable partner for Germany in the century of decarbonization and de-fossilization,” Mayer noted.

Industrial projects and skill development

The two nations are also deepening cooperation in industrial modernization and workforce training. Strong partnerships in the “dual education” model, combining classroom learning with enterprise experience, are well underway. As of May 2025, 552 colleges in Kazakhstan use this model, engaging over 108,000 participants through approximately 18,000 enterprises, with German partners such as the Erfurt Education Center involved.

Mayer praised Kazakhstan’s economic progress and the close partnership between the two countries, noting that around 400 companies in the country maintain ties with Germany. However, he also emphasized that there remains room for growth.

“Germany is a manufacturing and industrial country, and we will hopefully stay that way. Certainly, we face some challenges we must address, but I am deeply convinced that it is in other countries’ interests to invest in Germany, and that it is equally attractive to bring German investment to Kazakhstan,” he said.

According to Mayer, Kazakhstan can be a hub for German companies to establish a presence in Central Asia.

“When you are here in Astana, you are already halfway to Southeast Asia. This hub function could be a very interesting role model for Kazakhstan, and German companies could benefit from it,” Mayer added.

The Partnering in Business with Germany program between Kazakhstan’s Ministry of National Economy and Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy was extended until 2028. Since its launch, more than 800 Kazakh entrepreneurs have taken part, gaining experience through internships in Germany, professional training, technology transfer, and business partnerships.

Cultural and historical ties

But it is not only trade, raw materials, or hydrogen that bind Berlin and Astana. Kazakhstan also became home to thousands of ethnic Germans, many of whom were forcibly relocated during the Stalin era. The Volga Germans, targeted during World War II, formed large communities across Kazakhstan. Although many repatriated to Germany in the late 1980s and 1990s, the country remains home to one of the largest and most active German diasporas in the world.

Mayer shared that his first visit to the German community in Kazakhstan was a decade ago, and on this trip, he had the opportunity to visit their new cultural center in Astana.

“I have deep respect for the work that has been done over the past decade. It’s truly a tremendous job carried out by the German community,” he said.

According to him, the German community in Kazakhstan consists of around 225,000 people, and it is one of the biggest and most vibrant German communities abroad.

“They do a very professional job, and I want to convey my regards and congratulations to them. They are the best bridge between our two countries, not only culturally, in preserving the German identity, but also economically. Many enterprises in Kazakhstan are owned by members of the German community, and they play an important role in bringing our countries closer. I rely very much on their work, and I am truly grateful to see such prosperous development. I believe they have a bright future ahead,” Mayer concluded.