Paris, 5 February 2026 - The OECD Eurasia Week was held at the OECD Headquarters in Paris, bringing together more than 200 delegates from Central Asia, Eastern Europe and the Caucasus, OECD member states, as well as other stakeholders from international and non-governmental organizations and the business community.

OECD Eurasia Week is a regular forum for countries of the region and OECD member states, held within the framework of the OECD Eurasia Competitiveness Programme (ECP), launched in 2008. The event aims to strengthen cooperation between Eurasian countries and the OECD on issues affecting regional competitiveness and socio-economic development.

The Kazakh delegation included Aizhan Bizhanova, First Vice Minister of Trade and Integration of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Erzhan Birzhanov, Vice Minister of Finance, as well as representatives of the Ministry of National Economy, the Ministry of Industry and Construction, QazTrade Policy Development Centre, the Institute of Economic Research, and the Permanent Delegation of Kazakhstan to International Organizations in Paris.

Speaking at the opening session in Kazakhstan’s capacity as Regional Co-Chair of the ECP Central Asia Initiative, the delegation emphasized that the OECD’s high-quality analytical work and targeted recommendations play an important role in shaping and implementing reforms across key sectors of Kazakhstan’s economy and public administration, as well as across the wider region. The delegation noted that OECD standards also support the continuous improvement of national legislation. In this context, Kazakhstan expressed its support for systematic OECD engagement with countries of the region, particularly in trade facilitation and enhanced transport connectivity.

The Kazakh delegation also informed participants about the Regional Environmental Summit to be held in Astana on 22–24 April and thanked the OECD for its partnership in developing the substantive agenda of the Summit.

First Vice Minister of Trade and Integration of the Republic of Kazakhstan A. Bizhanova spoke at sessions dedicated to improving the competitiveness of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route and the Strategic Infrastructure in Asia (SIPA) Program. In her speech, she outlined Kazakhstan's priorities for removing institutional barriers along the Trans-Caspian Corridor. The role of digitalization, coordinated infrastructural solutions and coordination of trade procedures was emphasized. Special attention was paid to the climate agenda and the development of transport and trade infrastructure, taking into account the principles of environmental sustainability. In this context, the value of cooperation between the countries of the region within the framework of SIPA as a mechanism for expanding trade and integration into sustainable global supply chains was noted.

The delegation actively participated in the session on critical raw materials. Vice Minister of Finance Yerzhan Birzhanov presented Kazakhstan’s approaches to mitigating risks such as undervaluation of mineral resources, harmful tax incentives, and transfer pricing, noting that several provisions of Kazakhstan’s new Tax Code are designed to ensure competitive conditions for investors in this sector. Sairan Baizhakhanov, Representative of the Ministry of Industry and Construction of Kazakhstan to the European Union, shared Kazakhstan’s experience in applying OECD standards on responsible business conduct, particularly in the mining industry.

Kaisar Nigmetov, Deputy Chair of the Board of the Institute of Economic Research, presented Kazakhstan’s experience during the session on the competitiveness of Eurasian economies, highlighting regulatory and governance mechanisms aimed at reducing market distortions and improving the performance of state-owned enterprises. He also noted the OECD’s valuable support to Kazakhstan and other countries in the region in advancing reforms in this area. In addition, Nurlan Kulbatyrov, Deputy Director General of QazTrade, shared Kazakhstan’s experience in improving international trade procedures, diversifying exports, and attracting investment.

On the margins of the event, the Kazakh delegation also held a series of bilateral meetings with senior officials of OECD and representatives of other participating countries.

Source : https://www.gov.kz/memleket/entities/mfa-unesco/press/news/details/1155871?lang=kk