The President of Kazakhstan took part in the 14th summit of the Economic Cooperation Organization. The event was also attended by the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Presidents of Turkey, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Secretary General of the Economic Cooperation Organization Hadi Soleimanpour.
Kassym-Jomart Tokayev expressed gratitude to the fraternal Turkish people and President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan for the assistance provided to our country in the fight against the pandemic. The main focus in his speech was overcoming the negative economic consequences of the pandemic. He called cooperation with the ECO one of the priorities of Kazakhstan's foreign policy. In his opinion, large infrastructure and social projects should become the basis for interaction within the organization. One of the most promising projects mentioned is the Trans-Caspian international transport route, which is being formed jointly with China.
In November 2019, a container train was launched on the Xi'an-Istanbul-Prague route, connecting Kazakhstan, China, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey. In April last year, the first container train passed the Xi'an - Izmir route and covered the distance of about 7000 km in 16 days. “These are good examples of our interaction. However, we still have a lot to do to ensure sustainable progress,” in the President’s words. Tokayev presented information on Kazakhstan's participation in infrastructure projects in Afghanistan, and also dwelled on the tourism sector potential, which, despite the pandemic, remains one of the promising cooperation areas. As he emphasized, healthcare can also become a center of attraction for foreign investment in Kazakhstan.
“Turkish Rönesans Holding begins construction of its clinics in seven cities of Kazakhstan. We also welcome Orhun Medical, which, together with the Kazakh National Institute of Oncology and Radiology, plans to launch a Tomotherapy Center in Almaty this year. “We hope that all-round cooperation based on mutual interests and the practical implementation of joint projects will help us to counter the challenges of today and prepare us for the opportunities of tomorrow. We tie great hopes with the Organization,” Tokayev said. In conclusion he wished Turkmenistan a successful chairmanship in the Economic Cooperation Organization.
Reported by the Kazakhstanskaya Pravda
