ASTANA – Kazakhstan is ready to increase exports to Armenia to $350 million, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said during a joint media briefing with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on April 15, reported Akorda. Tokayev arrived for an official visit to Yerevan earlier today.
Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Nikol Pashinyan at an April 15 press briefing. Photo credit: Akorda
Kassym-Jomart Tokayev emphasized that Armenia is a very important and reliable partner for Kazakhstan in the South Caucasus.
“Our relations are based on unwavering friendship and mutual support. Enhancing bilateral ties is our common goal. Our interests in strengthening regional and international security and cooperation coincide. (…) We are interested in further developing a comprehensive partnership with Armenia. That is why today’s visit is of special significance to me,” said the Kazakh President.
Noting the steady growth in mutual trade volume over the past five years, Tokayev stressed the need for specific measures to diversify export and import goods and explore new directions to stimulate trade.
He sees the potential of intensifying cooperation in the fields of industry, construction, transport and logistics, agriculture, finance, innovations, and tourism.
“This is especially relevant in today’s complex geopolitical and geo-economic situation,” he added.
Kassym-Jomart Tokayev with Vahagn Khachaturyan. Photo credit: Akorda
Elaborating on the transport and logistics sector, the President praised Armenia’s commitment to reestablishing transit connections in the South Caucasus and welcomed Pashinyan’s Crossroads of Peace initiative, aimed at developing communications between Armenia, Azerbaijan, Iran and Türkiye.
Tokayev also supported the proposal for direct flights between the capitals and other cities of Kazakhstan and Armenia.
Discussing the potential for cooperation in the agricultural sector and digital technologies, he highlighted the strengthening of cultural and humanitarian ties, mentioning the Days of Armenian Culture in Kazakhstan scheduled for this year.
The President announced an agreement that one street in Yerevan would be named after the great Kazakh philosopher Abai, while one street in Astana would be named after the creator of the Armenian alphabet, Mesrop Mashtots.
Welcoming an initiative by universities in Astana and Yerevan to form a scientific group to study Kipchak manuscripts written in Armenian script, Tokayev also invited Armenian athletes to participate in the World Nomad Games slated for September.
Touching on the regional and global agenda, the President reaffirmed Kazakhstan’s readiness to contribute to peace efforts in the South Caucasus.
“We wholeheartedly welcome the desire of Armenia and Azerbaijan to conclude a peace treaty,” he said. “Kazakhstan is ready to provide full support and undertake a mission of goodwill. Our main goal is to bring our friendly countries closer together and open the way to lasting peace, good neighborliness and stability in the region.”
President Tokayev meets Alen Simonyan. Photo credit: Akorda
Tokayev then met with Alen Simonyan, the president of the National Assembly of Armenia. He stressed the importance of effective legislative support for the agreements reached and emphasized the need for robust parliamentary control over their implementation.
He visited the Mesrop Mashtots Institute of Ancient Manuscripts, also known as Matenadaran, which is included in the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s (UNESCO) World Heritage List and is considered one of the most important places for preserving the Armenian national memory.
In recent years, with the assistance of Armenian scientists, copies of 40 works on the history of Central Asia and Kazakhstan have been obtained from the Matenadaran funds. The institute plans to publish a collection of Kipchak-language manuscripts this year.
Tokayev’s official visit to Yerevan concluded with a meeting with President of Armenia Vahagn Khachaturyan who said that the outcomes of the negotiations create a solid foundation for strengthening ties between the two countries and elevating interstate relations to a new level.
