Ljubljana, February 2, 2026 – At the meetings of the Ambassador of the Republic of Kazakhstan to Slovenia, Altay Abibullayev, with the leadership of world–famous pharmaceutical companies in Slovenia, the head of KRKA, Jože Colarič, as well as Chairman of the Board Gregor Makuc and members of the Board of Lek–Sandoz, the state and prospects for the development of bilateral investment cooperation and the expansion of the presence of their advanced drugs in the market of Kazakhstan were considered.

The Ambassador noted that in the light of mutual activation and institutional mechanisms for supporting business, investment and foreign economic activity, the total trade turnover between Kazakhstan and Slovenia currently amounts to about 170 million euros, while a significant share of this volume is generated by the activities of KRKA and Lek–Sandoz companies, which underlines their strategic role in the development of bilateral economic relations. connections. The role of Kazakhstan as a regional hub for Central Asia and the Caucasus was emphasized, including the possibility of scaling up the presence of pharmaceutical companies in the markets of neighboring countries using mechanisms for harmonizing registration and regulatory procedures.

The KRKA leadership presented one of the most modern and advanced pharmaceutical plants in Europe to the Ambassador of Kazakhstan, provided up-to-date information about the company's global structure in 70 countries, the scale of investments in the latest research and development, as well as the development of operational and commercial activities in Kazakhstan, including the expansion of marketing and professional cooperation with the medical community.

During the negotiations with Lek–Sandoz, the main focus was on the regulatory environment and access to the Kazakh market, the company's participation in government and corporate procurement, as well as opportunities for expanding investment cooperation, including the prospects for localization of production, the use of special economic zones and instruments of the Astana International Financial Center to increase predictability and protect investments.

The Ambassador invited the management of the companies to take an active part in the «AI&Digital Bridge» Business Forum in Ljubljana on March 12 and the meeting of the Joint Intergovernmental Commission on March 13, during which it is planned to discuss issues of innovative development, the introduction of digital solutions and the use of artificial intelligence in industry and the pharmaceutical sector. The companies are also interested in participating in the Kazakhstan Pharmaceutical Forum in Turkestan on March 4-5, 2026.

The pharmaceutical companies confirmed to the Ambassador their mutual interest in deepening the strategic economic partnership, expanding their investment presence and forming a practical roadmap for cooperation focused on long-term sustainability, technological development and mutual economic benefits.

Reference: KRKA's system employs 13 thousand employees, including 103 people in Kazakhstan, investments in research and development of new drugs amount to 185 million euros, it is planned to produce more than 300 billion tablets in 2026, the company's turnover amounted to 2.05 billion euros by the end of 2025, which is 7% more than in 2024.

The Lek-Sandoz system employs about 23,000 employees, including 1 person in Kazakhstan, investments in research and development of new drugs amount to 100 million euros, and the company's turnover amounted to 530 million euros by the end of 2025.

Source : https://www.gov.kz/memleket/entities/mfa-ljubljana/press/news/details/1154138?lang=kk