Date of next round of Astana Syria talks announced

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.

 

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan Roman Vassilenko held a meeting with the Dutch delegation headed by Director of the European Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands Eric Weststrate, press service of the Kazakh MFA reports.

At the beginning of the meeting, the Kazakh diplomat expressed gratitude for the expert support of the Netherlands in combating floods in the regions of Kazakhstan.

The parties discussed the current state and prospects of Kazakh-Dutch cooperation on a wide range of issues of mutual interest.

 Welcoming the active dialogue between the foreign ministries of the two countries, Roman Vassilenko confirmed the interest of the Kazakh side in strengthening bilateral ties at all levels.

In addition, relevant topics on the regional and international agenda, as well as interaction between the countries within multilateral structures were discussed.

 

Kazakh-Turkmen consultations on consular issues were held in Ashgabat, press service of the Kazakh MFA reports.

Kazakh delegation was headed by Director of the Consular Service Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Bauyrzhan Akataev, while the Turkmen delegation was headed by Head of the Consular Service Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Dovlet Muratov.

Parties exchanged information on improving the work in the consular-legal sphere and introduction of modern technologies in consular activities.

During the consultations held in a friendly, constructive and benevolent atmosphere, the diplomats discussed in detail a number of consular issues of mutual interest.

Participants of the meeting noted the significance and productivity of such bilateral meetings, which gave an additional impetus to the bilateral relations between the friendly countries, allowed to substantially intensify contacts between the consular services and competent authorities of both states.

Following the consultations, parties confirmed their intention to continue bilateral consultations on consular issues on a regular basis.

 

At the invitation of the Singaporean side, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Alibek Bakayev paid a working visit to the Republic of Singapore, press service of the Kazakh MFA reports.

The focal point of the visit was participation in the fourth round of Political Consultations between the Foreign Ministries of Kazakhstan and Singapore. The delegation of the host country was headed by Kevin Cheok, Deputy Secretary (Asia-Pacific) of the Singapore Foreign Ministry.

During the consultations, which took place in a trusting and constructive atmosphere, the parties held an interested exchange of views on a wide range of issues on the bilateral and multilateral agenda. Alibek Bakayev and Kevin Cheok noted with satisfaction the progressive development of the bilateral political dialogue, marked by the intensification of contacts at the highest and high levels in the post-covid period.

An in-depth discussion on the schedule of mutual visits and events until year-end took place.

The heads of the Kazakh and Singaporean delegations provided a positive assessment of the dynamics of bilateral trade and economic cooperation. They noted the complementary nature of the economies of both countries and the substantial cooperation potential in promising areas such as water resources management, smart cities, transport connectivity, agriculture and food industry, digital and green economy, tourism, science, and education.

Alibek Bakayev and Kevin Cheok exchanged insights on key aspects and trends of the international agenda. They affirmed the alignment of Astana and Singapore's positions on topical regional and global policy issues, as well as their commitment to multilateralism, and adherence to fundamental principles and norms of international law.

Concluding the visit, the Kazakh delegation expressed gratitude to the Singaporean authorities for the substantive dialogue and customary hospitality. Both parties acknowledged the usefulness of regular Political Consultations and agreed to maintain contacts on mutual interests.

Another significant aspect of Deputy Minister’s visit was a meeting with Grace Fu, Minister of Sustainability and the Environment, Minister-in-charge of Trade Relations.

A meaningful exchange of views ensued on the current state and future prospects of Kazakh-Singapore economic cooperation, particularly in light of dynamic changes in the global economic landscape. The parties expressed satisfaction with Kazakhstan and Singapore’s roles as primary trade and investment partners for each other in Central and Southeast Asia, respectively.

They emphasized the need to strengthen coordination and expand contacts between government, quasi-governmental, and business sectors to identify new growth opportunities in the medium and long term.

 

Deputy Prime Minister - Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan Murat Nurtleu paid an official visit to Thailand upon the invitation of Deputy Prime Minister - Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Thailand Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara, press service of the Kazakh MFA reports.

During the talks, sides discussed the current state and prospects for the development of Kazakh-Thai relations in political, trade, economic, investment, cultural, and humanitarian spheres.

Ministers noted the similarity of positions of Kazakhstan and Thailand on key issues of the global political agenda, especially in the areas of nuclear non-proliferation and security on the Asian continent. In this context, they expressed mutual interest in continuing cooperation at such platforms as the UN, the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia and the Dialogue on Cooperation in Asia.

Foreign Minister Nurtleu emphasized the consistent growth of mutual interest of the two countries in the field of trade. The growth of bilateral trade turnover in the post-covid period was noted with appreciation, which reached a historical maximum of 367 million US dollars by the end of 2023.

Both sides noted the significant potential of cooperation in the sphere of agriculture and food security. They stressed the need to intensify contacts of business circles and search for the most advantageous conditions for transportation of goods between the two countries.

Cooperation on tourism is actively developing, the number of direct flights between two countries is growing. In 2023, 172 thousand Kazakh tourists visited Thailand, which is 2.5 times higher than the figure for 2022.

Following the visit, the heads of foreign ministries signed an Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Government of the Kingdom of Thailand on Exemption from Visa Requirements of National Passport Holders. According to this document, citizens of the both countries can stay without a visa for up to 30 calendar days from the date of entry into each other’s territory. The Agreement will come fully valid after the parties finalize the domestic procedures.

A Memorandum of Understanding in the Field of Tourism was also signed between the ministries of tourism and sports of Kazakhstan and Thailand.

Foreign Ministers noted satisfaction with the outcome of the talks and expressed confidence in further fruitful cooperation.

 

Kazakhstan delegation headed by Deputy Prime Minister - Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan Murat Nurtleu took part in the 80th session of the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific. The main theme of the session ongoing in the Thai capital is "Leveraging Digital Innovation for Sustainable Development in Asia and the Pacific", press service of the Kazakh MFA reports.

Representatives of Asia-Pacific member states, heads of international organizations and other high-ranking officials attended the event.

Foreign Minister Murat Nurtleu noted in his speech that the countries of Asia and the Pacific are becoming a new center of growth of the world economy and a driving force of technological progress. In this context, he stated that in the new economic policy of the President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, the development of innovation and digital technologies are a priority.

Kazakhstan is invariably among the world leaders in the development of fintech sphere, a successful example of which is the Astana International Financial Centre. Our country ranks 28th in the world in the provision of e-government services and 8th in the quality of online services.

Murat Nurtleu invited ESCAP member states to mutually beneficial cooperation with Astana Hub - the largest IT startup park in Central Asia. Currently, more than 900 companies, including Google, Microsoft, Huawei and many others, are successfully operating in Kazakhstan.

Considering that digital solutions play an important role in the development of transport interconnectivity, the Kazakh diplomat called for strengthening coordination between the countries of the region and adoption of the new ESCAP Convention on uniform rules and standards in the transit sector.

Within the framework of participation in the session, Foreign Minister Nurtleu held talks with Armida Alisjahbana, the UN Under Secretary General - Executive Secretary of ESCAP.

Parties discussed joint initiatives on holding under the auspices of the UN Ministerial Conference on Digital Technologies in Astana in September 2024 and establishment of the Center for Digital Solutions in Almaty. Kazakhstan is initially ready to share more than 20 specific digital solutions with other member states of the Commission.

On the sidelines of the session, Kazakh Foreign Minister also held talks with Fatima Rabab, UN High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States. The two sides discussed preparations for the third UN Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries.

In addition, the Ministry of Digital Development, Innovation and Aerospace Industry of Kazakhstan also organized a side event on the theme "Digital Expansion: Innovation for the Sustainable Development Goals".

 

Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Pakistan, Yerzhan Kistafin held a meeting with Chairman (Akim) Anwar ul-Haq of the Capital Development Authority, press service of the Kazakh MFA reports.

They discussed about establishing cooperation between Astana and Islamabad, taking into account various sectors including economic collaboration, urban development, infrastructure, landscaping, cultural exchanges, and tourism.

While speaking about the current Kazakh-Pakistani agenda, Ambassador Kistafin particularly emphasized the importance of expanding ties at level of regional and local authorities. He also noted the significant potential for strengthening the dialogue between the authorities of both Capitals, Astana and Islamabad.

In response, Chairman Anwar ul-Haq expressed keen interest in advancing cooperation with Astana, highlighting trade, economics, culture, and humanitarian efforts at priority. As a preliminary step, he proposed organising online negotiations to identify potential areas for joint projects.

Chairman Anwar ul-Haq also showed interest in social development model of Kazakhstan, particularly its achievements in promoting interethnic and interfaith dialogue.

 

The Embassy of Kazakhstan in Lithuania, with technical support of the national film studio "Kazakhfilm", organized the Kazakh Cinema Days in Vilnius dedicated to the 110th anniversary of Shaken Aimanov, the founder of Kazakh cinema, and the 90th anniversary of the film company. Representatives of the Lithuanian Parliament (Seimas), diplomatic corps, mass media, Kazakh diaspora and public figures attended the screening, press service of the Kazakh MFA reports.

Opening the screening, Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Lithuania Timur Urazaev noted the close cultural and humanitarian ties between the two countries and the mutual interest of citizens in the cultural process. It was noted that the Kazakh steppe has historically been a haven for different ethnic groups, in the XIX-XX centuries having received settlers, exiles and repressed people, among whom were several thousand Lithuanians. Kazakhs have always lent a helping hand in a difficult moment, which made our society multinational and multi-confessional. It is not by chance that Astana became the venue for the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions - a unique dialogue platform in the modern world. The screening of the film "The Voice of the Steppe" very accurately conveys the essence of the historical drama characteristic of Kazakhstan.

Deputy Speaker of the Seimas Jonas Jarutis noted the positive experience of interethnic harmony in Kazakhstan and expressed gratitude to our people for helping exiled Lithuanians during the years of political repression and deportation to the Kazakh steppes.

The film "Kazakh Khanate. Golden Throne", presented to the Lithuanian audience on the second day, was filmed based on the famous novel "Nomads" by Ilyas Esenberlin and covers the events of the 15th century, when the process of formation of the first Kazakh state was actively underway. The film was screened on the occasion of the 800th anniversary of the formation of the Ulus Juchi and the 5th World Nomad Games, which will be held in Astana from 8 to 14 September this year.

Lithuanian viewers were interested in the production of Kazakh cinema and received virtual access to the archives of "Kazakhfilm", reflecting the evolution of Kazakh cinema.