EU and EEU should work together - Nazarbayev

    President Nursultan Nazarbayev spoke on cooperation between the European Union and the Eurasian Economic Union at the Kazakh-French Business Forum in Astana late last week, Tengrinews reports.
    “The Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Germany and Kazakhstan have recently held a meeting in Astana, where they agreed that the Eurasian Economic Union and the European Union could start cooperation. It would be beneficial. I support it,” Nazarbayev said in response to a question concerning the relationship between the two economic associations.
    “We have very good relationship in general. (…) Trade volume between Kazakhstan and the European Union totals $53 billion; with Russia it is $28 billion, and around $25 billion with China. It is responsible for 70% of our total trade. In the beginning of November, after thorough preparations, we signed an agreement on partnership with the European Union that envisions the further development of our relationships,” the president said.
    Nazarbayev once again stressed that the Eurasian Economic Union was an economic, rather than a political union.
    “The EEU pursues economic goals. The Customs Union is lifting barriers for trade between our countries. Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus taken together, have a two trillion dollar economy and a good market of around 165 million people. Considering the fact that Kazakhstan shares 7 thousand km of a common border with Kazakhstan, this is very important for us,” Nazarbayev added, according to Tengrinews.