ASTANA – Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Murat Nurtleu met with European Union (EU) Special Representative for Central Asia Terhi Hakala to discuss further engagement in the Central Asia – EU interregional format on July 12, reported the Foreign Ministry’s press service.
Murat Nurtleu and Terhi Hakala. Photo credit: Kazakh Foreign Ministry.
They reviewed the state and prospects for strengthening bilateral cooperation, exchanged views on relevant issues on the international agenda, regional security, and preparations for the Central Asia – EU Ministerial Meeting this autumn.
Nurtleu said the meetings of the leaders of Central Asian countries and the EU, initiated by Kazakhstan in 2022, consolidated the focus on practical interregional dialogue and its further institutionalization.
The minister pointed out the relevance of deepening cooperation in developing the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route within the EU Global Gateway strategy, endorsing the final study on the sustainable transport connections between Central Asia and Europe conducted and published by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.
Hakala, who arrived in Kazakhstan to participate in the Central Asian Security and Cooperation Forum (CAF), emphasized the EU’s interest in deepening long-term cooperation with Kazakhstan, including in the field of critical raw materials. She said the EU is ready to contribute to Central Asia’s sustainable economic development.
