ASTANA – Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Murat Nurtleu held bilateral talks with Austrian Minister for European and International Affairs Alexander Schallenberg on March 14, as part of his working visit to Vienna, reported the ministry’s press service.
Murat Nurtleu and Alexander Schallenberg. Photo credit: Foreign Ministry
The ministers addressed prospects for strengthening political interaction, upcoming visits, and events at the highest levels. They noted the common positions on several important topics on the international agenda, including support for landlocked countries and a high level of cooperation in promoting the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.
The parties also discussed measures to strengthen economic cooperation between Kazakhstan and Austria, attract investments, enhance cooperation in transit and transport and renewable energy sources, and prospects for visa facilitation for Kazakh residents.
Nurtleu and Schallenberg noted the importance of strengthening business ties and agreed to arrange mutual visits of business delegations. In 2023, bilateral trade turnover increased by 64%, reaching $332.6 million U.S. dollars, including $9.7 million in exports and $322.9 million in imports. Since 2005, the volume of investments from Austria to Kazakhstan has reached $3 billion.
Given the growing importance of the Central Asian region, the parties agreed to maintain working contacts and continue efficient interaction within international platforms.
