Kazakhstan wants to supply more oil to Germany in the future. Berlin's goal is for the black gold from the Central Asian country to replace suspended Russian supplies. The news was announced by the leaders of the two countries in the Chancellery building in the German capital, but more details about their intentions are not yet known.
“We plan to increase the quantities and volumes supplied and we want to remain a reliable partner of Germany in the field of oil supplies in the future“, said President Kassam-Jomart Tokayev at a joint press conference with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Berlin. Kazakhstan has long been one of the most important sources of oil for the Federal Republic, DPA notes.
Merz stressed the interest in Kazakh oil as a possible “substitute for the oil we no longer receive from Russia“. Germany wants to “diversify its sources of supply, with Kazakhstan playing a key role in this direction”, the chancellor said. However, both politicians did not reveal details of what they were planning.
ALTERNATIVE SOURCE FOR REFINERY IN SWEDEN
After Germany stopped buying Russian oil, Kazakh oil served mainly as an alternative supply for the PCK refinery (the former Petrochemical Plant “Schwet“ from the GDR) in the Baltic city of Schwedt in the state of Brandenburg. At the beginning of this year, oil from Kazakhstan accounted for about a fifth of the refinery's black gold. In May, Russia decided to stop the transportation of Kazakh oil through the Druzhba pipeline. The refinery then looked for alternative sources, primarily through the territory of Poland.
The PCK refinery in Swietokrzyskie has not received Russian oil since 2023. Fifty-four percent of the refinery's ownership belongs to the German subsidiaries of the Russian state concern Rosneft, which, due to Russia's aggressive war against Ukraine, have been placed under special management by the federal government.
Tokayev said during his visit to Germany that Kazakhstan insists on the "principle of respecting the territorial integrity of each country." At the same time, he emphasized his "excellent relations" with Russian President Vladimir Putin. "Whatever happens in Ukraine, we will never forget that Russia and Ukraine are our friends," Tokayev said.
Kazakhstan and Russia share a 7,500-kilometer border. The two countries are allies, but Astana has never signaled its support for Moscow's offensive. In July, Tokayev called on Putin to end the fighting.
KAZAKHSTAN AS AN ARENA OF GREAT POWER CONFLICT
Kazakhstan is located between Russia and China. The country maintains close ties with both countries, but wants to use its natural resources and strategic geographical location to become more sovereign, which creates the need to maintain a complex foreign policy balance, notes “Deutsche Welle“.
Kazakhstan was part of the Russian Empire and later the Soviet Union for centuries. In the 20th century, the country was a nuclear testing ground and also the starting point for the first manned space flight: Yuri Gagarin launched his mission into Earth orbit from the Baikonur Cosmodrome. Kazakhstan still maintains close ties with Russia, which is its largest trading partner, Deutsche Welle recalls.
But Kazakhstan is also deepening its relations with China, which is investing billions in the neighboring country as part of its large-scale infrastructure construction project "New Silk Road". These investments are mainly concentrated in the so-called Middle Corridor, which both countries could use as an alternative route to Europe in case traditional trade routes - such as the Strait of Hormuz - are blocked. be blocked.
Russia's aggressive war against Ukraine has further strengthened Kazakhstan's turn towards China, notes “Deutsche Welle“. At the same time, Kazakhstan has become even more important to Russia as an ally, for example because it can play the role of a trade intermediary for the supply of embargoed goods. Kazakhstan seeks to maintain good relations with both Moscow and Beijing, without becoming dependent on them. That is, in essence, Astana's policy remains a balance between the complex interests of the two large neighbors, says the commentary of “Deutsche Welle“.