Backstage at meeting between Macron and Tokayev

On 5 November, French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed his Kazakh counterpart, Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, to the Elysée Palace. It would be interesting to go behind the scenes of this meeting, writes Derya Soysal, Central Asia Expert for Diplomatic World Institute.

Kazakhstan, a regional power

Kazakhstan has recently been recognized as an important partner for the European Union. Located at the heart of Central Asia and rich in mineral resources, Kazakhstan has made significant progress in economic, political, and diplomatic spheres by leveraging its economic growth and strategic position on the historic Silk Road. It also attracts considerable interest from international investors. Kazakhstan stands as the wealthiest state in Central Asia, with its economic transformation particularly notable for reforms in the energy sector and efforts to draw foreign investment. Astana is a strong partner for France, especially in the energy sector, with relations intensifying in recent years.

Kazakhstan occupies a strategic position at the crossroads of great powers. Bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south, it is located on the Silk Road, connecting China to Europe and India to Russia. By area, Kazakhstan is the ninth largest country in the world.

However, Kazakhstan’s appeal is not only its geographical location. With the intensification of many agreements in the fields of energy, transportation and infrastructure, the country aims to play an increasing role in the flow of trade between Europe and China. Since 2000, Kazakhstan has achieved economic development with an impressive annual GDP growth rate of around 10%.

As Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev puts it, its “multi-vector foreign policy” enables the country to manage its relations with major powers such as China, Russia, the European Union and the United States of America (USA).

The European Union (EU) is Kazakhstan’s largest trading partner, representing 40% of foreign trade. Moreover, the EU is the largest foreign investor in Kazakhstan, accounting for 48% of foreign direct investment (FDI) flows and nearly 60% of net shares of total FDI in 2018.

Europeans seek new partners after the Russian-Ukrainian crisis

In the face of geopolitical crises, such as the one between Russia and Ukraine, countries are seeking other agreements to reduce their dependence on Russia and their vulnerability to geopolitical and economic crises. In addition, this decade has seen shifts in global economic power. We are no longer facing a world ruled by a few power centers. On the contrary, new countries such as Kazakhstan are becoming stronger and more influential on an international scale. Undoubtedly, France and the European Union in general are seeking to increase bilateral agreements with this country and this trend is expected to intensify further by the end of 2025.

In the last few years, there has been a great rapprochement between Europe and Central Asia. Interest in this region is growing. The visit of Charles Michel, President of the European Council, to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, French President Emmanuel Macron’s reception of President Tokayev of Kazakhstan at the Elysee Palace on November 29 and 30, 2022, and the European Union-Central Asia Summit in Astana on October 27, 2022 confirm this interest (Soysal, D. 2024)¹.

Closer rapprochement between France and Kazakhstan

On Tuesday, November 5, 2024 the President of France met with the President of Kazakhstan at the Elysée Palace. One year after Emmanuel Macron’s trip to Astana, Kassym-Jomart Tokaïev visited his French counterpart again at the end of the year, and this seems to be a habit for both presidents. It would be important to find out what went on behind the scenes at this meeting.

The first real reason for the meeting was France’s interest in Kazakh uranium. Kazakhstan is one of France’s main uranium suppliers. 70% of France’s electricity is generated by nuclear power. This is why France intends to maintain and intensify its relations with the Kazakhs, major uranium exporters. The former Soviet republic, economically the most powerful country in Central Asia, supplies France with almost 40% of its uranium. As the two “partners” have stepped up their cooperation on the atom over the years, Paris hopes in return that EDF will be chosen by Astana to build its first nuclear power plant (Quénelle, 2024, November 5). Over the last ten years, France has imported 88,200 tonnes of natural uranium. According to the Euratom Committee, most of these imports come from Kazakhstan (around 27% of French natural uranium imports).

Several agreements and contracts were signed on Tuesday November 5, 2025, including one by Alstom, to supply electric locomotives.

Kazakhstan is an attractive country for its natural resources. The country is rich in oil, natural gas, coal, metals and uranium, which accounts for 40% of world reserves. Kazakhstan is one of the main suppliers of uranium and crude oil to France.

Economic issues aside, French President Emmanuel Macron and his Kazakh counterpart Kassym-Jomart Tokayev have signed a readmission agreement, the first ever between France and a Central Asian country. “This agreement enables the readmission of Kazakhstani nationals, as well as third-country nationals or stateless persons holding a Kazakhstani residence permit or who have transited through Kazakhstan, with very favorable provisions and procedural deadlines for readmission” if they have not been granted asylum in France, said the Élysée (Bourgery-Gonse, 2024, November 5).

Finally, the Kazakh President and his French counterpart discussed global geopolitics and their shared desire to see peace established in the world. Among these topics, they discussed and supported Armenian-Azerian normalization. The French and Kazakh leaders adopted a joint declaration, part of which reads as follows:

“The Presidents expressed their full support for the normalization of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan and the rapid signing of a peace treaty, which will make it possible to establish a just and lasting peace in the region, respecting the territorial integrity of both countries, on the basis of the 1991 Almaty Declaration,” the declaration reads.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Kazakhstan’s interest in sustainable development, energy transition, and integration into the Emissions Trading System (ETS) demonstrates alignment with EU standards. Nuclear energy constitutes 70% of France’s total electricity production, making this partnership essential for France (one of the EU’s main pillars).

Given Kazakhstan’s increasing influence in the region, the interest of BRICS nations, its natural resources, and its strategic location on the New Silk Road, Kazakhstan is becoming a key ally for the EU. Additionally, the EU,and particularly France, places great importance on developing regional cooperation with Kazakhstan as part of its foreign policy.

Faced with growing geopolitical conflicts, France is looking to find new partners, and even consolidate its current relations with countries on which it is energy-dependent, such as Kazakhstan.

Bibliography

Bourgery-Gonse , T. (2024, 5 novembre). La France signe un accord de réadmission inédit avec le Kazakhstan. www.euractiv.fr. Consulté à l’adresse https://www.euractiv.fr

Quénelle, B. (2024, 5 novembre). Entre Emmanuel Macron et Kassym-Jomart Tokaïev, un partenariat franco-kazakh sous l’œil de Moscou. Le Monde.fr. Consulté à l’adresse https://www.lemonde.fr

Soysal, D. Opinion, G. C.-. (2024, 19 octobre). Le Kazakhstan, nouveau partenaire clé de l’Union européenne. Consulté à l’adresse https://fr.eureporter.co/kazakhstan-2/2024/10/21/kazakhstan-the-european-unions-new-key-partner/

1 Soysal, D. Opinion, G. C.-. (2024, 19 octobre). Le Kazakhstan, nouveau partenaire clé de l’Union européenne. Consulté à l’adresse https://fr.eureporter.co/kazakhstan-2/2024/10/21/kazakhstan-the-european-unions-new-key-partner/

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