Kassym-Jomart Tokayev warmly welcomed Vladimir Putin to the capital of Kazakhstan as part of his state visit.
Dear Vladimir Vladimirovich! I would like to wholeheartedly welcome you to our capital for a state visit. This event is of great importance in terms of developing the strategic partnership and allied relations between our countries. But I believe it is also of great significance in terms of ensuring security and stability on the Eurasian continent, as our countries are, in essence, the foundation of this vast Eurasian space. In this regard, I would like to emphasize two points.
The head of state emphasized that, firstly, this is a joint statement on seven foundations concerning the strategic partnership and allied relations between our countries. He noted that the word "seven" itself is a very good word, a good number. "Foundation" is even more so. And the document itself is very original.
"I'll talk about this in more detail at the press conference. I worked on this document myself, making amendments. I believe it will go down in the annals of cooperation between our countries and will be of great significance."
Secondly, what Kassym-Jomart Tokayev drew attention to was the signing of agreements regarding the construction of a nuclear power plant in Kazakhstan.
"I would like to express my gratitude to you for your personal support of this project. I don't think there's any need to dwell on the strategic significance of the agreement to build a nuclear power plant, because it's clear to everyone. We are friends, brothers. We have much in common, including a rich historical past, cultural traditions, and mentality. We discussed this in detail yesterday during our informal meeting, recalling our history. I believe this meeting is also of great importance for Russia. We will work to advance the fundamental interests of our peoples. And they are interested in our countries living in friendship and cooperation. We all need peace in order to develop further," said the President of Kazakhstan.
In turn, Vladimir Putin addressed Kassym-Jomart Tokayev with words of gratitude for the invitation.
"Dear Kassym-Jomart Kemelevich! First of all, I would like to express my gratitude for the invitation. We had the pleasure of hosting you last year on a state visit. Much was done then to take additional steps to deepen our strategic partnership, which is truly founded on strong traditions of friendship and mutual respect over centuries of coexistence between our peoples, including within a single state. I am confident that our work these days will also be very productive. Thank you very much for yesterday evening, which we were able to spend together in an informal setting and discuss many important and promising areas of our cooperation. It is gratifying that our delegations are here during the holidays. In our country, Eid al-Adha is celebrated by Russian citizens who profess Islam. I know that this holiday is also celebrated in Kazakhstan," the Russian President said.
By the Kazakhstanskaya Pravda
