ASTANA – Citizens of Kazakhstan and the United Arab Emirates could soon face fewer bureaucratic hurdles when driving in each other’s countries after Kazakh Minister of Internal Affairs Yerzhan Sadenov and UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan signed a memorandum on the mutual recognition and exchange of driver’s licenses.
Yerzhan Sadenov and Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Photo credit: Kazakh Ministry of Internal Affairs
“The signing of the document is aimed at simplifying administrative procedures and creating additional convenience for citizens of both countries,” said the Kazakh ministry in a June 26 press release.
Nearly 400,000 Kazakh citizens travel to the UAE every year, and nearly 14,000 Kazakh nationals live there permanently.
The memorandum provides for the mutual recognition of national driver’s licenses and a simplified exchange procedure in cases covered by the agreement. The memorandum will enter into force once both sides complete the required domestic procedures.
The ministers discussed prospects for expanding bilateral cooperation in combating crime, including transnational organized crime, cybercrime and drug trafficking. They also addressed such issues as the search for criminals, the exchange of operational information, the use of modern technologies and personnel training.
