Pakistan Expresses Interest in Developing Railway Communication with Kazakhstan
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The Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Pakistan Yerzhan Kistafin held a meeting with the Secretary of Railways of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan Syed Ali Shah, press service of the Kazakh MFA reports.
During the negotiations, the Pakistani side outlined the ongoing efforts to attract foreign investors for rehabilitation and expansion of the country's railway networks.
In this regard, Syed Ali Shah expressed keen interest in enhancing cooperation between Kazakhstan and Pakistan, emphasizing the potential to elevate bilateral and regional trade relations to a new height.
Ambassador Kistafin welcomed the designated approaches, emphasizing the need to strengthen the dialogue, both within the framework of the Joint Working Group on Transport and Regional Connectivity, and directly between the railway bodies of the two countries.
In general, the parties acknowledged significant potential for collaboration in the transport and logistics sector, particularly with regard to access to the Pakistani seaports of Karachi and Gwadar, which will serve as a gateway to the countries of Africa and Southeast Asia.
As a result of the meeting, an agreement was reached to organize negotiations involving relevant government bodies and interested stakeholders from Kazakhstan and Pakistan.
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Trans-Caspian Route and Topical Issues of the Transportation Sphere were Discussed in Budapest
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Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Hungary Zhanibek Abdrashov took part in the 2nd meeting of the Transport Coordination Committee of the Organization of Turkic States, press service of the Kazakh MFA reports.
Ambassador Zhanibek Abdrashov in his welcome speech noted the relevance and importance of this event taking into consideration the global changes in the field of transportation and logistics.
Furthermore, the Kazakh diplomat expressed confidence that the Organization of Turkic States is currently providing close and coordinated interaction among member states in order to increase unification of efforts and address all relevant transportation issues.
The Ambassador also mentioned that the geographical position of Kazakhstan in the center of the Eurasian continent creates favorable opportunities for using the transport network of Kazakhstan in the formation of transcontinental routes in East-West and North-South directions.
Zhanibek Abdrashov informed in detail the representatives of the OTS member countries about the implementation of the items of the Joint Action Plan ("Road Map") on the Implementation of the Transport Connectivity Program of the Organization of Turkic States for 2023-2027 adopted on 3 November 2023 in Astana.
Zhanibek Abdrashov concluded his speech by emphasizing the significance of Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s initiative to establish the Digital Transportation System, which he expressed at the Samarkand summit.
In this regard, the Kazakh diplomat informed the meeting participants on Kazakhstan's vision for integrating multimodal platforms to effectively create a Unified Digital Transport System.
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Young Kazakh Composer Captivates Geneva Audience
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Historical Conservatoire de Musique de Genève hosted a concert of renowned Kazakh composer and pianist Rakhat-Bi Abdyssagin, press service of the Kazakh MFA reports.
Presented as a highlight of the "Turkic Week in Geneva" organized under the chairmanship of Kazakhstan in the centre of international diplomacy, the concert attracted an audience comprising heads of diplomatic missions and international organizations, representatives of NGOs, academia, the Geneva community, and the Kazakh diaspora.
Opening the concert, Permanent Representative of Kazakhstan Yerlan Alimbayev thanked Rakhat-Bi for his contributions to the world of music, highlighting the importance of cultural diplomacy and the role of music in fostering international cooperation and understanding.
Rakhat-Bi Abdyssagin’s performance was a fusion of classical masterpieces by J.S. Bach, W.A. Mozart, L. van Beethoven, F. Chopin, F. Liszt, and A. Scriabin, alongside his own original compositions. His introductions to each piece enriched the concert experience, providing a deeper understanding and appreciation of the music and creating a connection between the artist and the audience.
The concert by Rakhat-Bi Abdyssagin displayed the artistic brilliance of Kazakhstan, highlighting the country’s commitment to promoting cultural diplomacy, enhancing international cooperation, and sharing the universal language of music with audiences worldwide.
Rakhat-Bi Abdyssagin’s composed his first piece at the age of 9, and his portfolio includes over 150 compositions, including three operas. His diverse work reflects his passion, creativity, and dedication to the art of music. His most recent opera, "The Bruce" received critical acclaim and premiered in four cities of the United Kingdom earlier this year.
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Development of Inter-parliamentary Relations is an Important Item on the Kazakh-Romanian Agenda
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The potential for developing inter-parliamentary partnership was the main topic of the talks between Ambassador of Kazakhstan Yerlik Ali and the Chairman of the Foreign Policy Committee of the Senate of the Romanian Parliament, Titus Corlățean, press service of the Kazakh MFA reports.
During the discussions, the participants explored a range of potential areas for collaboration, both bilaterally and multilaterally. They expressed a mutual interest in deepening the existing ties between Astana and Bucharest.
The sides devoted particular attention to the discussion of political and socio-economic reforms, the implementation of which is being carried out on the initiative of President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. In particular, the Romanian side was informed about the reforms aimed at strengthening the protection of human rights and freedoms, statehood, as well as improving the well-being of the people.
Along with this, the multilateral agenda of the negotiations included an exchange of views on a wide range of current issues on the international and regional agenda, as well as cooperation in the Kazakhstan-EU and Central Asia-EU format. At the same time, proposals for the participation of the Kazakh delegation in the 31st annual session of the OSCE PA, which will be held from June 29 to July 3, 2024 in Bucharest, were also considered.
At the conclusion of the meeting, the interlocutors agreed to regularly "synchronize watches" in order to find new niches in the investment, energy, transport, logistics and tourism sectors.
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Priorities of Cooperation Between Kazakhstan and the European Union Presented in Athens
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Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Greece Yerlan Baudarbek-Kozhatayev made a presentation on the priority areas of cooperation between Kazakhstan and the EU for the Ambassadors of European countries accredited in Greece, press service of the Kazakh MFA reports.
In his speech on the theme "Kazakhstan today: prior to the summit of Central Asia - European Union" Yerlan Baudarbek-Kozhatayev informed the participants of the meeting about the political and socio-economic reforms being implemented in the country under the leadership of President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.
To the attention of the interlocutors was presented information on the development of regional cooperation in Central Asia and the focus of the 6th Consultative Meeting of Heads of State of the region, which will be held in Kazakhstan in 2024, as well as the interaction of the countries of the region with the world political centres in the format of "Central Asia Plus".
The event was organised under the auspices of the Ambassador’s Committee of the Balkans & Black Sea Forum, where topical issues of global and regional politics were discussed.
The meeting participants discussed the upcoming calendar of electoral events, including the impact of the outcome of the European Parliament elections to be held in June 2024 on the political landscape of Europe.
The discussion highlighted the importance of transport connectivity and the improvement of infrastructure and logistics, energy security, new power and LNG projects, as well as environmental and agricultural policies.
The speakers highlighted Central Asia’s potential for renewable energy production, emphasising that the European Union's green transition strategy implies an interconnected system with third countries, given that Kazakhstan is a strategic partner of the EU in the fields of critical raw materials, batteries and renewable hydrogen.
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Signing of the Strategic Partnership and Cooperation Agreement in Astana Opens a New Chapter in Kazakh-British Relations
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Deputy Prime Minister - Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan Murat Nurtleu held talks with Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland David Cameron, who is in Astana with an official visit, press service of the Kazakh MFA reports.
The discussion focused on issues of bilateral, regional and international cooperation, as well as measures to enhance the entire spectrum of Kazakh-British relationship.
Minister Nurtleu welcomed dynamic intergovernmental and inter-parliamentary contacts that have facilitated deepening of partnership in various sectors over the recent years, and reconfirmed his readiness to broaden dialogue further between the foreign ministries of two countries.
With a view to increase engagement in trade, economic and investment spheres, Kazakh Foreign Minister underlined the importance of promoting institutional mechanism of cooperation, including the Strategic Dialogue and the Intergovernmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technical and Cultural Cooperation.
Foreign Secretary Cameron noted that the UK pays great attention to developing cooperation with Kazakhstan as the key partner in Central Asia. He also expressed support for the ongoing reforms in our country and the readiness of London to deepen its ties with Astana.
An important outcome of the talks at the Foreign Ministry was the signing of the historic Strategic Partnership and Cooperation Agreement between Kazakhstan and the UK that is aimed at strengthening bilateral relations in key sectors, such as foreign policy and security, trade and investment, protection of intellectual property, energy and raw materials partnership, transportation, environment protection and climate change, banking and financial services, employment and social policy, science and education.
According to Minister Nurtleu, "this comprehensive agreement will be a significant step in taking political, trade and investment relations between Astana and London to new horizons… We believe our strong and mutually beneficial strategic partnership will continue to strengthen in all areas, from energy to rare metals, from ecology to education."
A number of bilateral documents in the sphere of healthcare and transport as well as MoUs on opening a branch of Queen’s University Belfast in Almaty and launching Kazakh language courses at Oxford University were also concluded during the visit.
For reference: trade between Kazakhstan and the UK in 2023 reached 1.2 million US dollars (exports - 703 million, imports - 478,7 million).
There are around 600 companies and joint ventures with British capital in Kazakhstan.
The UK is among the top 10 foreign investors in Kazakhstan. Last year, Kazakhstan’s economy attracted 795 million in FDI from the UK and over 17 billion in total since 2005.
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