Meeting : Pascal Bréant, Director of Total in Kazakhstan, Vice-President of the CCI France-Kazakhstan

There are lots of ideas and projects

What role do French companies play in Astana and Kazakhstan?

Pascal Bréant - France is the third largest international investor in Kazakhstan. French companies have invested 13 billion in the last ten years, the vast majority in the oil industry. So it's not insignificant. There are around one hundred French expatriates In Astana, it is still a small community. The majority of the 40 members of the CCI are still based in Almaty, the former capital, but the biggest companies have moved to Astana - Total, Alstom, Airbus and soon Areva - because that's where the official bodies are located.

What remains of the International Exhibition held in 2017?

Pascal Bréant - The theme of the event was "energies of the futurewas a success in itself, particularly for the French pavilion which welcomed 600,000 visitors. The International Exhibition also helped to improve infrastructure, notably with the opening of new hotels and the inauguration of the Astana ballet.

What are the growth sectors?

Pascal Bréant - The President wants to modernise the country's economy from the point of view of the digital industry, but also improve the efficiency of the administration. In addition to the traditionalenergyAgriculture also offers interesting prospects, its development being a priority for the State. There are lots of ideas and projects. The country is very dynamic! I'm thinking in particular of the new Astana International Financial Centera highly ambitious project, or the Astana Economic ForumThe aim is to make the country a key player in Central Asia.