The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic Zheenbek Kulubaev paid his first official visit to Astana on January 10.
During the talks, Deputy Prime Minister – Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Murat Nurtleu and Minister Kulubaev discussed priority areas of political, trade, economic, investment, water and energy, transit and transport, and cultural and humanitarian interaction. They expressed mutual commitment to deepening of alliance on the basis of friendship, brotherhood and good-neighborliness.
Nurtleu emphasized that Kazakh-Kyrgyz relations have been brought to a qualitatively new level of interaction with the signing of the Treaty on Deepening and Expanding Allied Relations between Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.
“Kyrgyzstan is not only a reliable ally for us, but also a good neighbor and a brotherly nation, with which we are linked by centuries-old ties of friendship, common spiritual values and common Turkic roots,” said Nurtleu.
The parties emphasized the importance of expanding economic cooperation. Today Kazakhstan is among the three largest trade partners of Kyrgyzstan. In recent years, bilateral trade has steadily exceeded $1.5 billion. The ministers agreed to promote the increase of mutual trade up to $3 billion. In this context, they noted the importance of launching the Industrial Trade and Logistics Complex on the Kazakh-Kyrgyz border, expanding the nomenclature of bilateral trade turnover, holding regular business forums and trade missions, as well as further developing interregional ties.
Particular attention was paid to the creation of favorable conditions for the business communities of the two countries. Kazakhstan has invested more than $1.3 billion in the Kyrgyz economy.
The ministers noted the significant potential for cooperation in the spheres of energy, transportation, and logistics.
The foreign ministers elaborated on the development of regional cooperation, joint efforts to strengthen peace and stability in Central Asia, interaction within the Consultative Meetings of the Heads of State of Central Asia and the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea.
Photo: Kazakhstan Foreign Ministry
