The Kazakh-Swedish relations
Please click here to download Kazakh version
General Information
16 January 1992 - The Kingdom of Sweden recognized the independence of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
7 April 1992 – The diplomatic relations have been established between Kazakhstan and Sweden.
11 February 2000 – The Honorary Consulate of Sweden starts operating in Almaty. The representative of the Swedish company «Ericsson», the citizen of Kazakhstan, Nurlan Izmailov, was appointed as the Honorary consul.
13 May 2004 – Mr Hans Olsson was appointed as the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Sweden to Kazakhstan (with residence in Stockholm).
26 November 2008 – Mr Kairat Abusseitov was appointed as the Ambassador of Kazakhstan to the Kingdom of Sweden (with residence in London).
Political relations
The first official visit of the President Nursultan Nazarbayev to the Kingdom of Sweden, held on 25-26 October 2004, provided a basis to the significant break-through in the history of Kazakh-Swedish bilateral relations. During his visit the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan met with His Majesty Carl XVI Gustaf, the King of Sweden, with the Swedish Prime Minister Göran Persson and the Speaker of the Parliament of Sweden Björn von Sydow. Nazarbayev also met with the representatives of the Kazakh Diaspora in Sweden. The President also participated in the “Kazakhstan-Sweden: investment opportunities” business forum and met with the leading Swedish companies.
There were several agreements signed during the visit such as ‘the Agreement between the Government of the Kingdom of Sweden and the Republic of Kazakhstan on the Promotion and Reciprocal Protection of Investments’ and ‘the Agreement on International Transport of Passengers and Cargo by Road’.
Τhe visit of the President of Kazakhstan to Sweden followed by the visit to Kazakhstan of the Swedish First Deputy Prime Minister Mr Bosse Ringholm accompanied by the business delegation on 20-22 February 2006.
Mr Ringholm met with the Head of State and the Prime Minister of Kazakhstan. For the Swedish delegation the series of events were organized by the Kazakh ministries and governmental departments. Furthermore, the representatives of official and business circles of both countries participated in a business forum hosted in Almaty.
The visit of Mr Ringholm to Kazakhstan played an important role in expanding trade, economic cooperation between the countries and provided with practical assistance of Sweden to diversify Kazakh economy through creation of new technologies, including technologically sophisticated industries, upgrading economic infrastructure, improving the financial sector and SME infrastructure, agriculture and other sectors of the economy.
On 21-23 February 2008, during his visit to Sweden the Deputy Foreign Minister of Kazakhstan Mr Kairat Sarybai met with the Swedish State Secretary for Foreign Affairs Mr Frank Belfrag to discuss issues on bilateral cooperation and to exchange the views on international and regional issues.
On 21-25 February 2009 the Ambassador-at-Large Mrs Madina Jarbussynova visited Stockholm for the ministerial consultations in the context of the Swedish Presidency in the EU during the second half of 2009.
Parliamentary relations
In November-December 2001 four Kazakh Members of Parliament were invited to a seminar on parliamentary democracy and governance. In April 2002 in Stockholm the parliamentary delegation of Kazakhstan visited the Riksdag within the United Nations framework.
Legal Cooperation
In late October 2002 Sweden was visited by lawyers headed by the Chairman of the Supreme Court of Kazakhstan Mr Kairat Mami. During the meetings in the Parliament, the Supreme Court and the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce discussed the delegations discussed the role and place of arbitration courts in resolving conflicts, the role of judges in international commercial arbitration and the arbitration issues involving the governmental bodies.
Legal Base
The bilateral trade and economic relations between Kazakhstan and Sweden are based on following agreements:
- The Agreement on Trade Relations between Kazakhstan and the Kingdom of Sweden (23 March 1994).
- Convention between the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Government of the Kingdom of Sweden for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with Respect to Taxes on Income (19 March 1997, entered into force in 1998).
- Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Government of the Kingdom of Sweden on the Promotion and Reciprocal Protection of Investments (October 2004).
- Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Government of the Kingdom of Sweden on International Transport of Passengers and Cargo by Road (October 2004).
Trade and Economic Relations
During January-December 2008 the foreign trade turnover between Kazakhstan and the Kingdom of Sweden rose by 39.5%, reaching USD 746.2 mln (export – USD 444.4 mln, import – USD 301.7 mln) compared with USD 534.8 mln (export – USD 223.6 mln, import – USD 311.1 mln) in 2007. According to the statistic data the trade turnover between the two countries during January-August 2009 amounted to USD 313.5 mln (export – USD 130,2 mln, import – USD 183.2 mln).
There are 21 joint Kazakh-Swedish companies registered in Kazakhstan, 4 of which are with participation of foreign investors.
Total amount of Swedish investments in the economy of Kazakhstan reached USD 219.4 mln, 43 mln of which are direct investments. Kazakhstan invested USD 37.5 mln into Sweden.
Τhe bilateral meetings held during the visit of the President of Kazakhstan to Sweden gave significant impetus to the development of trade and economic cooperation between Kazakhstan and Sweden.
During the visit to Kazakhstan of the Swedish Deputy Prime Minister and within the framework of the Kazakh-Swedish Business Forum held in Almaty in February 2006 the parties have agreed on joint measures to further attract Swedish investment in non-extractive industries, to develop small and medium business in Kazakhstan, new technologies, and to expand the Kazakh-Swedish trade and economic relations.
Major landmark for bilateral trade cooperation was the visit of the Swedish State Secretary to Minister for Trade Mr Gunnar Wieslander on 8-11 June 2008 to Kazakhstan accompanied by the business delegation to take part in the Business Forum held in Almaty.
On 2 April 2009 the Embassy of Kazakhstan within the framework of the national programme “Path to Europe” together with the Swedish Trade Council organised a seminar “Business Day on Kazakhstan” in Stockholm devoted to the investment potential of Kazakhstan. The conference was attended by representatives of governmental and business circles of Sweden and the Swedish Trade Council. The list of participants included more than 60 Swedish companies, including those already represented in Kazakhstan – Ericsson and TeliaSonera (telecommunications), ABB (electricity), Volvo and Scania (manufacturers of trucks, buses and engines), Sandvik and Grindex (mining equipment and construction), Swedbank, SEB Merchant Banking and the Swedish Export Credit Corporation (banking sector), Pharmera (pharmaceuticals), Andemic AB (medical equipment), BCC AB (a leading supplier of forest seed), Appro AB, SEG AB (industry), etc. The fruitful cooperation with the Swedish companies like Ericson, TeliaSonera, Volvo and ABB results in the increased long-term interests of these companies in the Kazakh market. For example, Ericsson has increased its staff up to 130 people in Kazakhstan.
The Swedish International Fund which has more than 100 joint ventures in 40 countries expressed its readiness to cooperate with Kazakhstan. The Fund provides loans to joint ventures with high potential and profitability.
Culture
The Swedish Kazakh Association and the Embassy of Kazakhstan will host a small Kurultai of Kazakhs living in Europe in 2011 with support of the local authorities.
The Embassy of Kazakhstan to the UK accredited to Sweden
