Costa: EU plans to invest in critical raw materials laboratory in Kazakhstan

The European Union plans to invest in establishing a laboratory for analysing critical raw materials in Kazakhstan, European Council President António Costa said in an interview with Kazakhstan's Silk Way TV channel.

According to Report, Costa noted that over the past decade, the EU has become a major investor and trading partner for Kazakhstan.

"Kazakhstan, as the third-largest supplier of oil and uranium, has become one of the most important countries for our own economic security. I believe this visit is a good opportunity to identify new areas for cooperation," he said.

He added that the EU currently invests in four strategic areas in Kazakhstan: transport infrastructure, including port modernisation; water resources; digitalisation; and critical raw materials. In particular, work is underway to establish a laboratory in Kazakhstan to analyse critical raw materials, avoiding the need to send materials to third countries.

Costa also mentioned that negotiations on a visa facilitation agreement began in Astana yesterday. "This is a very important step and the first agreement we have started discussing in the past eight years. At the moment, however, it is difficult to set a timeline," he added.