The French president, Emmanuel Macron, has vowed to boost cooperation with Kazakhstan at a time of “multiple crises in the world” as he began a trip to central Asia, a region long regarded as Russia’s back yard, which has drawn fresh western attention since the war in Ukraine began.
At a meeting with Kazakhstan’s president, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Macron complimented the country for refusing to side with Moscow on Ukraine and announced business deals, including a declaration of intent for a partnership in the much-sought area of rare earths and rare metals.
“I don’t underestimate by any means the geopolitical difficulties, the pressures … that some may be putting on you,” Macron told Tokayev, who called the visit “historic”.
“France values … the path you are following for your country, refusing to be a vassal of any power and seeking to build numerous and balanced relations with different countries.”
Russia has voiced concern at the west’s growing diplomatic activity in former Soviet central Asian nations.
Although on Wednesday, the Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Kazakhstan, as a sovereign state, was free to develop ties with any countries, the foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, said last week the west was trying to pull Russia’s “neighbours, friends and allies” away from it.
France is the fifth-biggest foreign investor in Kazakhstan, ahead of China, mainly because of the involvement of energy companies TotalEnergies in the massive Kashagan offshore oilfield project.
Oil-rich Kazakhstan has emerged as a replacement supplier of crude to European nations turning off Russian supply and an important link in the new China-Europe trade route bypassing Russia. Kazakhstan is also a major exporter of uranium, and France’s Orano already operates a joint venture with its state nuclear firm Kazatomprom.
Macron and Tokayev signed a series of contracts in sectors ranging from minerals and energy to pharmaceuticals and aerospace.
The French energy firm EDF is in the running to build Kazakhstan’s first nuclear power station – a project that is due to be decided on in a referendum this year.
Critical minerals vital for clean energy technologies, which the region has plenty of, were an important part of the talks.
Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, where Macron will continue his visit, have refused to recognise Russia’s annexation of Ukrainian territories and have pledged to abide by western sanctions against Moscow, while calling both Russia and western nations such as France their strategic partners.
“We respect our friends, we are here when they need us and we respect their independence,” Macron said. “And in a world where major powers want to become hegemons, and where regional powers become unpredictable, it is good to have friends who share this philosophy.”
Asked about Macron’s visit, Peskov said Russia valued its relations with Kazakhstan “very highly”. He told reporters: “In our turn, we have historical ties, ties of strategic partnership with Kazakhstan, they are our allies and our interests are united in many international bodies.”
Several French presidents have visited Kazakhstan since the fall of the Soviet Union, but Macron will be the first to go to Uzbekistan since the late French leader François Mitterrand visited in 1994.
Despite their declared wish for political liberalisation, both central Asian countries are authoritarian states where protests are often violently repressed. In 2022, crackdowns on riots killed 238 people in Kazakhstan and 21 in Uzbekistan.
The Elysée said Macron would emphasise the “reform dynamic” in Uzbekistan and that the issue of the rule of law would be brought up during his visit.
On Wednesday afternoon, Macron addressed Kazakh students in English, speaking about the Middle East.
He said: “I hate this debate dividing people and saying: ‘For me Jewish lives are more important’ or ‘for me Palestinian lives would be more important’. This is crazy.”
He said: “All lives matter in this world.”
Macron added: “You have to attack and punish the terrorist groups but civilians are not the ones to attack … You have to protect civilians in your counterattack … in order to focus on the terrorist groups. I want to make this distinction because all lives matter in this world,” he stressed.
He said this was why France and other EU leaders called for a humanitarian pause in the fighting.
“We have to protect first civilians in Gaza. Because they have nothing to do with these terrorist attacks,” he said.
Agence France-Presse and Reuters contributed to this report
