ASTANA — Kazakh First Deputy Prime Minister Roman Sklyar signed documents with China to strengthen interdepartmental cooperation in water resources and archival affairs during his working visit to the country. The documents were signed at a March 19 meeting of the Kazakhstan-China Committee.

Roman Sklyar with Ding Xuexiang. Photo credit: primeminister.kz
According to the Prime Minister’s press service, the parties agreed to expand the Committee’s structure by adding a Coordinating Committee for Industrial and Investment Cooperation and establishing a subcommittee on education.
Discussions also focused on developing barrier-free trade, strengthening transport interconnectivity, and increasing joint investment projects in Kazakhstan, particularly in localized production.
During talks with Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang, both sides reviewed key areas of cooperation such as trade, investment, transport and logistics, agriculture, energy, and tourism. They positively assessed the dynamics – last year, bilateral trade reached $43.8 billion.
Meetings with Chinese industry leaders explored collaboration in metallurgy, energy, mechanical engineering, and agro-industrial complex. Sklyar also observed the prospects for joint investment projects in Kazakhstan in coal chemistry, automotive manufacturing, deep processing of agricultural products, and renewable energy sources.