ASTANA – Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Mongolian President Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh expressed their readiness to deepen cooperation and boost bilateral trade as Tokayev pays his first state visit to Mongolia as the President on Oct. 29.
Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh expressed confidence that Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s state visit to Mongolia will take bilateral cooperation to a qualitatively new level. Photo credit: Akorda
In a narrow-format meeting, Tokayev highlighted centuries-old traditions and cultural and historical roots between the two countries. He said that during his visit, the countries will sign important bilateral documents, including the Joint Declaration on Establishing a Strategic Partnership.
“I am convinced that this step will strengthen our cooperation at all levels and will open up broad prospects for the benefit of the development of the two nations,” said Tokayev.
Khurelsukh expressed confidence that Tokayev’s state visit to Mongolia will take bilateral cooperation to a new level.
“Your visit is of particular importance because it takes the relations between the two countries to the level of strategic partnership,” said Khurelsukh.
Tourism & cultural ties
The talks continued in an expanded format with the participation of members of official delegations, where two leaders discussed prospects for developing political, trade, economic and investment cooperation and partnership in agriculture, mining and metallurgy, energy, transport and logistics, and finance.
The Kazakhs and Mongolians are the descendants of the Great Steppe civilization and taking bilateral relations to a new level of strategic collaboration benefits both nations, said Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. Photo credit: Akorda
Tokayev emphasized that while both countries have established close inter-parliamentary and intergovernmental ties, they must focus on the significant potential in trade and economics, agriculture, transport and logistics, mining, industry, investment, new technologies, and space research.
He said that Kazakhstan is ready to increase the quota for Mongolian students and called for support for joint research of the shared historical heritage. Tokayev also highlighted opportunities for collaborative activities in ecological, historical, ethnographic and economic tourism.
“Kazakh tour operators are ready to introduce Mongolian tourists to the ancient city of Turkistan, where the Khoja Ahmed Yasawi mausoleum is located. The Ulytau Region, where the mausoleum of Jochi Khan, the eldest son of Genghis Khan, is located, as well as other tourist places. We are interested in developing the Altai tourism cluster with Mongolia and creating joint tourist routes,” Tokayev said.
Countries to increase bilateral trade to $500 million
Mongolia’s president called Kazakhstan an important partner of Mongolia and a reliable bridge between the East and the West. According to him, Ulaanbaatar is carefully studying Kazakhstan’s experience in economic development and supported Tokayev’s proposal to increase bilateral trade volume to $500 million. Trade turnover between Kazakhstan and Mongolia reached $83.9 million in January-August this year.
Following the meeting, Tokayev and Khurelsukh signed a Joint Declaration on Establishing a Strategic Partnership. Members of the delegations of the two countries signed 11 agreements, including a memorandum between the Kazakh Ministry of Energy and the Mongolian Nuclear Energy Commission, a memorandum on tourism cooperation between relevant ministries, a cooperation plan between the Foreign Ministries of both countries for 2025-2027, a roadmap for enhancing trade and economic cooperation for 2025-2027 and other documents.
Khurelsukh presented Tokayev with a Kazakh-Mongolian dictionary, which includes more than 60,000 dictionary entries. Tokayev invited the President of Mongolia to visit Kazakhstan on a state visit next year.
