U.S. and Central Asian Experts Discussed Security Issues

25.04.2024, 21:19 666

Kazakh Foreign Minister Met With the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of China

Deputy Prime Minister - Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan Murat Nurtleu held a meeting with Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China Sun Weidong, who arrived in Astana to participate in the Kazakh-Chinese inter-ministerial consultations, press service of the Kazakh MFA reports.

During the meeting, the sides discussed topical issues of bilateral cooperation in various spheres, including trade and economic cooperation, cultural and humanitarian ties, as well as regional and international security issues. Special emphasis was placed on the upcoming events at the highest and high levels.

Minister Nurtleu expressed confidence in further deepening of strategic partnership between the Republic of Kazakhstan and the People’s Republic of China on the basis of mutual respect, understanding and beneficial cooperation.

In turn, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of China emphasized the importance of development and strengthening of friendly relations between China and Kazakhstan and expressed readiness to continue work to expand cooperation in all areas.

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25.04.2024, 18:23 281

Kazakhstan and Slovakia are Expanding Trade and Economic Cooperation

In preparation for the upcoming meeting of the Kazakh-Slovak intergovernmental Commission, Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Slovakia Tolezhan Barlybayev held a meeting with the Chairman of the Slovak Chamber of Commerce and Industry Peter Mihok. The 10th meeting of the Kazakh-Slovak Intergovernmental Commission on economic, scientific and technical cooperation is scheduled for October this year in Astana, press service of the Kazakh MFA reports.

During the conversation, Ambassador Barlybayev noted the positive dynamics in the development of foreign trade cooperation between the two countries. Informed the necessity to expand the structure of foreign trade.

In this regard, proposed to sign a Memorandum of Understanding between the Foreign Chamber of Trade of Kazakhstan and the Slovak Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the draft of which was transferred to the Slovak side for consideration.

The Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovakia, positively noted the initiative of the Kazakh side, expressed his readiness to promote the development of trade and economic cooperation with the Republic of Kazakhstan.

As a result of the meeting, the parties reached to jointly working out the participation of the Slovak delegation at the Commission, preparing a business forum, as well as establishing a regular exchange of information on the possibilities of implementing business projects.

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25.04.2024, 13:21 441

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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24.04.2024, 21:27 4816

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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24.04.2024, 08:26 5046

Kazakh-Dutch Cooperation Discussed in Astana

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.

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23.04.2024, 21:24 5271

Kazakh-Turkmen Consular Consultations were Held in Ashgabat

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.

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23.04.2024, 16:22 5441

Kazakhstan and Singapore Discussed Key Issues on the Bilateral and International Agenda

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.

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23.04.2024, 15:20 5641

On Official Visit of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan to Thailand

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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.

Thailand is the largest and reliable partner of Kazakhstan in the Southeast Asian region. Over three decades of strong diplomatic relations, regular contacts between our states have paved the way for comprehensive and fruitful interaction," said Kazakh Foreign Minister.

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.

There is a constructive dialog between our countries, the positions of our states on many issues coincide. Kazakhstan is our key partner in Central Asia," said the Thai Foreign Minister.

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.

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U.S. and Central Asian Experts Discussed Security Issues

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