ASTANA – Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev met with Kyrgyz Foreign Minister Zheenbek Kulubaev, who paid first official visit to Kazakhstan on Jan. 10.
During the talks, the President expressed satisfaction with the dynamic development of the Kazakh-Kyrgyz relations of strategic partnership and alliance based on strong ties of friendship and good-neighborliness.
Zheenbek Kulubaev and Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. Photo credit: Akorda.
According to the Akorda, Tokayev emphasized the importance of fully implementing the agreements previously reached at the highest level, which are of a strategic nature and are intended to considerably boost the two nations’ interstate ties.
Kulubaev and Tokayev discussed efforts to increase trade and economic cooperation, expand transportation and logistics infrastructure, encourage mutual investment, and strengthen cultural and humanitarian links.
Zheenbek Kulubaev meets with Murat Nurtleu
During the meeting with Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Murat Nurtleu, the counterparts discussed a wide range of bilateral cooperation topics, including political, trade, and economic, investment, water and energy, transit and transportation, and cultural and humanitarian cooperation. The officials expressed mutual commitment to strengthening the relationship based on friendship, fraternity, and good neighborliness.
“The Kyrgyz Republic is not only a reliable ally for us, but also a good neighbor and brotherly people with whom we share centuries-old friendship, spiritual values, and Turkic roots,” said Nurtleu.
Kulubaev affirmed that the two nations’ relations had evolved into deep allied relations, reported the Kazakh Foreign Ministry’s press service.
Zheenbek Kulubaev and Murat Nurtleu. Photo credit: Kazakh Foreign Ministry.
During the meeting, the officials underlined the importance of expanding economic cooperation. Today, Kazakhstan is one of the three largest trading partners of the Kyrgyz Republic. In recent years, bilateral trade turnover has consistently exceeded $1.5 billion, nevertheless both countries aim to bring mutual trade to $3 billion. In this regard, the meeting participants noted the importance of launching the Industrial Trade and Logistics Complex on the Kazakh-Kyrgyz border, expanding the range of bilateral trade, hosting business forums and trade missions, and strengthening interregional cooperation.
A special emphasis was focused on developing favorable conditions for the business communities of the two countries. Kazakhstan has invested more than $1.3 billion in the Kyrgyz economy.
Nurtleu and Kulubaev noted the significant potential for cooperation in energy, transport, logistics, including the prospects for implementing joint projects. They expressed willingness to foster the growth of productive collaboration in these areas.
Cultural and humanitarian ties, which are the basis for strong and long-term relations between the two countries, were also on the agenda.
Last year, Days of Kyrgyz Culture and a number of large-scale events, including joint concerts, cinema days, youth and aksakal (elders) forums, were held in Kazakhstan. This year, it is planned to hold cross-cinema days, as well as the third Kazakh-Kyrgyz youth forum.
Nurtleu noted that the Kazakhstan Agency of International Development (KazAID) will continue to conduct educational courses for young diplomats from Central Asian countries, as well as academic student exchange and advanced training for teachers of medical universities. In this regard, he invited the Kyrgyz side to take part in these programs.
During the meeting, the officials confirmed their commitment to close cooperation within the framework of multilateral structures such as the UN, Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), Organization of Turkic States (OTS), Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA), as well as to providing mutual support in promoting international initiatives of the two states.
