A move that is as symbolic as it is strategic. For the first time since François Hollande in 2014, Emmanuel Macron traveled this Wednesday, November 1 to Central Asia, to Kazakhstan. He is then expected in Uzbekistan, this country of 35 million inhabitants which is trying to emerge on the international scene after 25 years of isolation. Arriving in the snow in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan with futuristic architecture built in the middle of the steppes, the French president was accompanied by a large economic delegation including the CEOs of EDF (electricity), Suez (water) and Orano ( uranium).
Announced at the start of the week, the objectives of this tour were clearly stated: to participate in the “diversification” of the strategic and economic links of these two actors against a backdrop of the struggle for influence between great powers in this region, and to strengthen the presence of the Europe in Central Asia.
Objectives met since several contracts were signed between the Kazakh leader Kassym-Jomart Tokaïev and Emmanuel Macron. Cooperation in the strategic minerals sectors, in geological, pharmaceutical and energy research, was concluded. The joint development of a major wind farm with TotalEnergies was also agreed between the two presidents, as was the establishment of an industrial partnership – with the Alstom group – and cultural partnership, to promote the French language.
France, 5th foreign investor in Kazakhstan
The Elysée also announced the supply of GM 400 military radars manufactured by Thalès “in the service of the sovereignty” of Kazakhstan, which will be assembled in this country sharing more than 7,500 kilometers with Russia and member of a common military alliance. As the Kazakh Minister of Energy confirmed on Wednesday, EDF is one of the candidates for the project of the first nuclear power plant in Kazakhstan, the construction of which must be confirmed by referendum by the end of the year.
France is the fifth foreign investor in Kazakhstan, ahead of China, notably due to the establishment of the TotalEnergies oil group, which jointly exploits the important Kachagan deposit in the Caspian Sea. Bilateral trade amounted to 5.3 billion euros in 2022, mainly in hydrocarbons.
“Consideration, respect and friendship”
During his meeting with Tokayev, Macron also underlined the “vigor” of the relationship with this former Soviet republic rich in natural resources, while insisting on the “need to complete and accelerate it”. He also welcomed the Kazakh “refusal” to take the “road of vassalization behind a few powers […] in a world where great powers would like to become hegemonic and where regional powers become unpredictable.
“I do not underestimate the geopolitical difficulties, the pressures, sometimes the jostling to which you may be subjected. France looks at you, with great consideration, respect and friendship,” he said. he time when Russia’s traditional influence in Central Asia is now contested in particular by China, the European Union and Turkey.
Recently, during a press conference in which L’Express participated, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan indicated that the country wanted to play the role of “mediator between Ukraine and Russia” with whom its ties are traditionally strong.
“France is our key and reliable partner in the European Union,” welcomed Kazakh leader Kassym-Jomart Tokaïev. Emmanuel Macron recalled “the great importance” of developing a “median corridor across the Caspian Sea” in order to “connect Europe and Central Asia”, an alternative to Chinese and Russian logistics routes in this landlocked region.
Moscow observer
Critical metals, essential to the energy transition and of which the region is rich, also feature prominently in discussions with Uzbekistan, which is among the main suppliers of uranium to France. The specialist Orano, which already operates a mine in Kazakhstan, also wants to increase its presence, while Kazakhstan alone produces 43% of total production, according to the World Nuclear Association.
Central Asia, long a Russian precinct, is ardently courted by the great powers at a time when Russia is monopolized by its military offensive in Ukraine. In this game of influences, neighboring China, with its major “New Silk Roads” infrastructure project, has taken a head start. But Europe and Turkey are also advancing their pawns, while Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will be in Astana on Friday.
Building on this enthusiasm, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan are banking on economic openness and balanced diplomacy to assert themselves, even if Moscow remains an essential partner. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday that Kazakhstan was a “sovereign country developing its diplomatic relations as it sees fit.” Beyond their economic openness, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan remain authoritarian regimes where the repression of demonstrations is often violent, despite a stated desire for political liberalization.