BAKU, Azerbaijan, July
15. Kazakhstan and the European Bank for Reconstruction
and Development (EBRD) discussed further development of the Just
Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) in Kazakhstan.


This is reflected in the statement published by the Ministry of
Energy of Kazakhstan.


According to the ministry, the discussions were held during a
meeting between the Vice Minister of Energy of Kazakhstan,
Bakhytzhan Ilyas, and representatives of the European Bank for
Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).


"The meeting was attended by Felicity Sporse, Director of the
EBRD's Climate Strategy and Implementation Department and Head of
the Sustainable Infrastructure Group; Yerlan Ramazanov, EBRD Deputy
Head of Kazakhstan and Regional Head of Energy in Eurasia;
Christian Carraretto, Deputy Director of the Climate Strategy and
Implementation Department and Head of the Energy Transition Unit;
Maira Karasayeva, Leading Expert on Regional Policy and Strategy;
Aigerim Salykbay, Analyst on Regional Policy and Strategy; Ilyas
Akhetov, Banker in the Energy Resources Department; and Alexandra
Nigay, translator," the statement of the ministry says.


​Opening the meeting, Vice Minister Ilyas noted that the JETP
serves as an important instrument for Kazakhstan to achieve its
national climate goals, attract green investments, and integrate
advanced technologies while ensuring the sustainable development of
the country's power sector.


​The sides focused heavily on institutionalizing the partnership
in Kazakhstan. The Ministry of Energy emphasized the necessity of
solidifying the platform's core operating principles and mechanisms
in regulatory and legal frameworks to establish transparent
interaction rules for all stakeholders and secure a stable
foundation for the initiative's long-term deployment.


​During the negotiations, the delegations reviewed the next
steps for structuring the JETP project portfolio and developing
cooperation mechanisms with international partners. The Ministry of
Energy welcomed the EBRD's readiness to assist in building the
partnership's institutional framework and expressed keen interest
in receiving the bank's expert advisory support while drafting the
necessary regulatory and organizational structures.







​Concluding the talks, the participants reaffirmed their
commitment to ongoing collaboration and agreed on further steps to
systematically advance the Just Energy Transition Partnership in
Kazakhstan.


Meanwhile, in a meeting with President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev in
Astana, EBRD President Odile Renaud-Basso announced that the EBRD
expects its total investment in Kazakhstan to reach 1.3 billion
euros this year.


"Kazakhstan is one of the EBRD's most important countries of
operation. This year, we are seeing a very high level of investment
activity. We have already signed agreements for projects worth more
than $1 billion. Taking into account the projects currently under
preparation, we expect our total investment this year to reach 1.3
billion euros. This will be the highest annual investment volume in
the history of the EBRD's operations in Kazakhstan," Renaud-Basso
said.


Meanwhile, EBRD Director and Head of Energy Eurasia (covering
Türkiye, the Caucasus, Central Asia, and Mongolia), Sule Kilic,
told Trend in an exclusive interview that the bank has mobilized
4.2 billion euros for Central Asia's energy sector and financed
more than 6.5 GW of renewable energy capacity across the region,
helping integrate solar and wind generation into national power
systems.


Speaking about Kazakhstan, Kilic said the country's national
grid operator, KEGOC, remains one of the EBRD's key partners.


"Since the 1990s, we have supported seven KEGOC projects, most
recently the Integration of the West Zone Project, which connects
the previously isolated western power zone with the rest of the
country via more than 600 kilometres of high-voltage transmission
lines," she said.