ASTANA – President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev met with President of Guinea-Bissau Umaro Sissoco Embaló, who arrived in Kazakhstan on an official visit on Dec. 18, to discuss priority areas for cooperation and outline plans for the coming period.
President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev met with President of Guinea-Bissau Umaro Sissoco Embaló, who arrived in Kazakhstan on an official visit on Dec. 18. Photo credit: Akorda.
During the narrow-format talks, Tokayev stressed that Guinea-Bissau is Kazakhstan’s important partner on the African continent, according to the Akorda.
“We are very interested in strengthening bilateral relations. I believe that we have very good prospects, given that the governments of both countries will make every effort to find additional opportunities for mutually beneficial cooperation,” Tokayev said.
Tokayev highlighted the potential for developing relations between Kazakhstan and Guinea-Bissau in sectors such as agriculture, mining, digitalization, transport and logistics.
Embalo expressed his gratitude to Tokayev for the hospitality extended during his visit to Kazakhstan.
Expanded-format talks
The expanded-format talks focused on enhancing cooperation in agriculture, transport and logistics, mining and metallurgical complex, finance, digitalization and telecommunications technologies.
The officials noted that last year marked the 10th anniversary since the establishment of diplomatic relations between Kazakhstan and Guinea-Bissau.
“Over the years, we have managed to build relations based on mutual respect, support and strong friendship. We are confident that there is significant potential for developing cooperation in various areas, especially in the economy and trade. I consider your visit an important step in strengthening ties between our countries,” Tokayev said.
Following the talks, the Presidents adopted a Joint Statement, as members of the official delegations signed three documents: an agreement between the governments on visa exemption for holders of diplomatic and service passports, a memorandum on political and diplomatic consultations between the countries’ foreign ministries, and a memorandum on cooperation in the field of information and communication technologies between relevant ministries.
Media briefing
During a media briefing, Tokayev and Embaló expressed their mutual intention to strengthen comprehensive relations.
Tokayev said that Embaló’s official visit to Kazakhstan clearly demonstrated that, despite the geographical distance, both countries are united by common goals and aspirations.
“As a result of bilateral talks, we reached important agreements. This visit will contribute to strengthening cooperation in the political, trade, economic, cultural, humanitarian and other spheres. Our countries are particularly interested in maximizing the potential of the transport and logistics industry. We agreed to study ways to connect the port of Bissau and the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route in West Africa. This is especially important now, given the increasingly serious geopolitical situation and global food security challenges,” Tokayev said.
He highlighted that one of the main topics of the talks was partnership in agriculture, noting that Kazakhstan has significant potential for exporting grain crops to Guinea-Bissau.
Emphasizing Kazakhstan’s achievements in digitalization, cybersecurity and financial technologies, Tokayev proposed expanding contacts in digital services and invited the Guinea-Bissau delegation to take part in the Astana International Forum, which will be held next year.
“The event will enable participants to better understand Kazakhstan’s economic and investment prospects. Cultural and humanitarian ties are extremely important in bringing our peoples together. I encouraged young Guinea-Bissauans to study at Kazakhstan’s higher education institutes. This will undoubtedly contribute to the deepening of comprehensive collaboration between our nations,” Tokayev said.
Embaló focused on the possibilities in strengthening cooperation in several industries.
“Kazakhstan and Guinea-Bissau have the necessary mechanisms to intensify cooperation in areas such as exploration of natural resources, education and export of hydrocarbons. We are also interested in deepening contacts within various international platforms and promoting our multifaceted ties,” he said.
