Negotiations between President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Russian President Vladimir Putin took place in a narrow format.
The head of our state thanked Vladimir Putin for accepting the invitation to visit Kazakhstan.
- This is, without any exaggeration, a very important event in our interstate relations, which are based on a very solid foundation of strategic partnership and alliance. Today, I carefully read your article in the mass media of Kazakhstan. I also published my article in the Russian mass media. I think that we have very thoroughly, as if in unison, outlined our approaches to the development of cooperation aimed at the future. In my article, I emphasized that Kazakhstan has been and remains a reliable strategic partner and ally of Russia in this very difficult time, - noted the President of Kazakhstan.
According to Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Kazakhstan and Russia have managed not only to maintain, but also to multiply the positive dynamics of bilateral partnership.
- The agenda of your visit is quite extensive. On the eve of the visit, members of the government worked, discussed all the issues on the agenda. Today we will adopt very important documents - these are 20 agreements, which will certainly give an additional powerful impetus to the further development of our good-neighborliness and cooperation, - said the head of state.
Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed gratitude to Kassym-Jomart Tokayev for the warm welcome on Kazakh soil.
- Thank you very much. We are friends and maintain business relations, everything is developing in the most dynamic way. We are in constant contact. I very much hope to see you at the end of the year at an informal pre-New Year meeting in St. Petersburg within the CIS. And, of course, I look forward to seeing you at the jubilee celebrations on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War. This is our common Victory, - Vladimir Putin noted.
He highly praised the dynamic development of bilateral relations and briefly touched upon the agenda of his state visit to Kazakhstan.
- Indeed, a whole series of documents have been prepared for today's negotiations. This includes the Joint Statement and a whole package on various areas of our activities. Russia remains one of Kazakhstan's largest trade and economic partners. Trade turnover is growing, last year it was almost 28.5 billion dollars. Accumulated investments in the Kazakh economy have reached 13 billion dollars. Of course, we value the development of humanitarian ties in the areas of civil society, education, science and culture. Suffice it to say that we have the largest number of foreign students from Kazakhstan. And interregional cooperation is developing very successfully. Today, another event is taking place in Ufa. I would like to thank you for the attention you pay to the development of Russian-Kazakh ties. We feel the attention of the President of Kazakhstan to this work, which is extremely important for us. We consider Kazakhstan our reliable friend and closest ally, - said the President of Russia.
During the talks, the heads of state discussed prospects for developing cooperation in such areas as industrial cooperation, energy, the oil and gas industry, energy resource transit, mechanical engineering, transport and logistics, finance, ecology and water policy, education, science and cultural and humanitarian ties.
By the Kazakhstanskaya Pravda
