ASTANA – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Egyptian Speaker of the Senate Abdel Wahab Abdel Razeq focused on the development of parliamentary diplomacy and cooperation prospects in trade and culture during a June 4 meeting, reported the Akorda press service.
Abdel Wahab Abdel Razeq and Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. Photo credit: Akorda
Tokayev noted that Abdel Razeq’s first visit to Kazakhstan is intended to give new impetus to strengthening bilateral inter-parliamentary relations.
“Egypt is one of the main partners of Kazakhstan in the Islamic and Arab world. The two states established constructive political dialogue. Numerous bilateral agreements are in force. We are ready to maintain this momentum and continue working together to expand cooperation. The development of trade and economic ties should become the basis of our cooperation, especially since we have sufficient potential for this,” said Tokayev.
Abdel Razeq expressed Egypt’s interest in strengthening bilateral ties, including inter-parliamentary ones and conveyed to Tokayev the greetings of Egypt’s President, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.
Photo credit: Senate’s press service
“Egypt treats Kazakhstan with special warmth. Many common things unite our countries. I hope that new mutually beneficial agreements will be reached in the near future,” he noted.
The sides discussed advancing parliamentary diplomacy and cooperation between the two countries in the trade, economic, cultural and humanitarian spheres.
The President invited Egyptian companies to implement investment projects in the transport and transit industry, tourism, and digitalization.
Tokayev also expressed gratitude to the government of Egypt for restoring the Sultan Beibars Mosque in Cairo and for making a significant contribution to the study and popularization of this outstanding historical figure’s heritage.
Meetings in the Kazakh Parliament
During the meeting with Chairman of the Senate, the upper house of the Kazakh Parliament, Maulen Ashimbayev, the parties addressed the prospects for cooperation and signed a Memorandum of Understanding between the chambers of parliaments of the two countries, reported the Senate’s press service on June 3.
Abdel Razeq and Ashimbayev also discussed the current state of cooperation and the prospects for developing cooperation in the trade and economic spheres. They expressed willingness to increase cooperation in agriculture, pharmaceuticals, electrical engineering, and light industry, as well as in the educational, tourism, investment and cultural-humanitarian spheres.
“We highly value inter-parliamentary cooperation with Egypt. Friendship groups operate effectively in the parliaments of both countries, being an important mechanism for interaction. In this regard, priority attention must be given to the full use of the potential for continued bilateral cooperation,” Ashimbayev said.
Abdel Wahab Abdel Razeq and Yerlan Koshanov. Photo credit: Mazhilis’ press service.
According to a June 4 statement from the Mazhilis’ (the lower house of the Kazakh Parliament) press service, Abdel Razeq also met with Yerlan Koshanov, the chairman of the Mazhilis.
During the talks, the parties agreed to intensify the work of the parliamentary friendship groups of the two countries. Abdel Razeq and Koshanov discussed cooperation in trade, economics, transport and transit, tourism, cultural and humanitarian spheres.
Koshanov noted the importance of exchanging experience in legislation and expanding the two countries’ legal framework, notably signing agreements between Kazakhstan and Egypt on extradition, mutual legal assistance in criminal matters. He also expressed confidence that Abdel Razeq’s official visit will strengthen the political dialogue between the countries and give new impetus to the development of inter-parliamentary cooperation.
