- The Astana EXPO 2017 National Company and Belarus Republican Union of Tourist Organisations signed a memorandum of partnership during the Dec. 11-12 visit of a Kazakh delegation to Belarus led by EXPO 2017 Commissioner and Kazakh First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Rapil Zhoshybayev. Bilateral meetings with Belarus Deputy Prime Minister Mikhail Rusyi, Minister of Foreign Affairs Vladimir Makei, Chairman of the Presidium of the National Academy of Sciences Vladimir Gusakov and heads of research and development institutes were held as part of the visit. At the meeting with Rusyi, the EXPO 2017 commissioner emphasised the contribution to the development of bilateral trade and economic relations made by the Kazakh-Belarusian intergovernmental commission co-chaired by Rusyi. Zhoshybayev informed the Belarus deputy prime minister about the process of preparation and theme for EXPO2017. The issues of cooperation of the countries’ scientific and IT institutes and their participation in the exhibition were addressed as well. As Rusyi is the Belarus commissioner at EXPO 2015 in Milan, he said Minsk would be properly presented at EXPO 2017 too.
- Belarus is interested in participating in EXPO 2017, Kazakh First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Commissioner of EXPO2017 Rapil Zhoshybayev learned as he headed the official visit of the Kazakh delegation to Belarus. Zhoshybayev and his Belarusian colleagues expressed mutual interest in activating bilateral cooperation in all spheres, including within the framework of the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) and the necessity of direct flights between Almaty and Minsk. On its visit to the National Science Academy, the Kazakh delegation was presented with an exhibition of Belarusian achievements. During the meeting, Chairman of the Presidium of the National Academy of Sciences Vladimir Gusakov noted the importance of the selected theme of his country’s exhibition. According to him, search and development of alternative energy sources is one of the strategic tasks and the academy has some research in this sphere that is expected to be presented at the exhibition in Astana. In addition, a special presentation dedicated to EXPO 2017 and the tourist potential for Kazakhstan was organised for representatives of the Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, National Academy of Science and state agencies.
- Kazakh Prime Minister Karim Massimov met Turkmenistan Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers Satlyk Satlykov Dec. 17 at the House of Government. During the meeting, the parties discussed expanding bilateral cooperation in transit, transport and logistics.
- Kazakh Prime Minister Karim Massimov met Dec. 14 with Chief Executive of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan Abdullah Abdullah. Massimov and Abdullah discussed cooperation in the trade, economic, cultural and humanitarian spheres, as well as exchanged views on regional security issues. Following the talks, the sides called for deepening cooperation across the whole spectrum of bilateral relations.
- Prosecutor General of Kazakhstan Askhat Daulbayev visited Great Britain Dec. 4 where he met with the heads of the country’s law enforcement agencies. At the meeting with Attorney General for England and Wale Jeremy Wright, the sides noted the strategic level of bilateral relations between Kazakhstan and Great Britain and prospects for cooperation in the legal sphere. A wide range of issues were also discussed with Minister of Justice Christopher Grayling. Daulbayev and Grayling signed a memorandum on mutual understanding between Kazakhstan and Great Britain on legal cooperation and the establishment of a joint consultative committee. The signed document will allow Kazakhstan and Great Britain to cooperate and exchange experience in the legal sphere and will allow Great Britain to support Kazakhstan’s process to join European conventions in the sphere of criminal procedure and activating the work on signing bilateral agreements on mutual legal assistance.
