World Bank Regional Vice-President Discusses Cooperation with Kazakhstan, Highlights Green Transition
ASTANA – Visiting Kazakhstan, Anna Bjerde, World Bank Vice-President for Europe and Central Asia, highlighted the results of the partnership between Kazakhstan and the World Bank over the past thirty years and discussed medium and longer-term priorities to help Kazakhstan achieve sustained economic growth with a focus on green transition.
Meeting with Alikhan Smailov, Prime-Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Ms. Bjerde acknowledged the successful consultations held recently with the Government on key areas of the World Bank’s medium-term support as outlined in the Country Partnership Strategy. They also discussed support to the Government on reforms for state owned enterprises, tariffs and subsidies, as well as engagement on social inclusion, human development, climate change and green growth.
Ms. Bjerde commended the Government’s plans to finalize the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) before COP27 and complete the Low Emission Development Strategy (LEDS), and encouraged a coordinated activity on climate adaptation, where the World Bank’s support through the Partnership for Market Implementation and other key analytical works could be instrumental.
“There is a clear case for Kazakhstan to change its growth model to become a lower carbon and higher productivity economy despite the global and local challenges. The LEDS is an important step for the transformations that are needed to decarbonize the economy. The next crucial step is to determine and implement the policies and programs that will drive these transformations,” said Anna Bjerde, World Bank’s Vice-President for Europe and Central Asia. “Equally relevant is the issue of adaption to the impacts of climate change on the economy, and the Bank stands ready to support Kazakhstan in addressing some of these critical issues.”
While in Astana, Anna Bjerde also met with key partners including the Minister of National Economy, Governor of the National Bank of the Republic of Kazakhstan, and key development partners and members of the Foreign Investors Council. Ms. Bjerde also met the CEO of Kazakhstan Railways to discuss operational and financial improvements and priority investments needed to attract private capital and support the company’s decarbonization and connectivity goals.
Kazakhstan joined the World Bank, the world’s largest multilateral development finance organization, in July 1992. Over the past thirty years, the Bank has financed more than 50 investment projects amounting to almost $9 billion in loans and credits, along with a wide range of knowledge-sharing, capacity-building and technical assistance activities in support of national priorities and needs.
The ongoing World Bank Group program in Kazakhstan is being implemented under the Country Partnership Framework for 2020–25 to support the country in its efforts to: (1) promote inclusive growth, (2) strengthen human capital, and (3) secure sustainable, resilient, and low carbon growth.