An official welcoming
ceremony for the President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides,
took place at the Palace of Independence. This is his first official visit to
Kazakhstan. The two heads of state introduced members of their official delegations.
The commander of the honor guard company delivered a welcome report, followed
by the national anthems of Kazakhstan and Cyprus.
Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and
Nikos Christodoulides held one-on-one talks. President Tokayev noted the
historic significance of the first official visit of the President of Cyprus to
Kazakhstan. Relations between the two countries are actively developing: embassies
have been opened in both capitals, and direct flights have been launched. The
first such flight to Astana took place today, with the President of Cyprus
arriving on board. President Tokayev also highlighted that there is significant
potential for expanding bilateral cooperation. He reaffirmed Kazakhstan’s
readiness to further enhance cooperation across a wide range of areas. For his
part, President Christodoulides expressed confidence that the talks would
contribute to strengthening the partnership. The talks then continued in an
expanded format with the participation of delegations from both countries.
«We
just had a very much productive exchange of views in our vis-a-vis format,
reaffirming our shared commitment to further developing our bilateral
cooperation. As to Kazakhstan, we are ready to go ahead and to make any deals that would
be beneficial for both countries because we highly value our traditional links
of friendship with your country,» Tokayev said.
The President of Kazakhstan said a representative
business delegation accompanied Nikos Christodoulides, reflecting growing
interest from Cypriot companies. Special attention will be given to
digitalization and artificial intelligence, logistics, finance, tourism,
education, renewable energy, and infrastructure. He noted that the business
forum and the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the chambers of
commerce would help strengthen business ties.
«Kazakhstan
welcomes Cypriot companies willing to invest and expand their presence in our
country. Creating favorable conditions for business and investors is one of
Kazakhstan’s key policy priorities. Your companies can count on practical
support from our government in implementing investment projects.
Interparliamentary cooperation creates a sustainable political and legal basis
for closer cooperation between our countries,» Tokayev
added.
«Kazakhstan
holds an important, a very important role in our broader vision for engagement
with Central Asia. Kazakhstan is a strategic, is a value partner for Cyprus and
a key actor in a region of great geopolitical importance. Cyprus, as a member
state of the European Union in the greater Middle East, can serve as a reliable
gateway to the European market for investors and companies from Kazakhstan,»
Christodoulides said.
In order to deepen
cooperation, President Tokayev put forward a number of proposals. These include the development of a roadmap for
economic cooperation until 2028, as well as the establishment of an
Intergovernmental Commission on Economic Cooperation and a Business Council.
Following the talks, members of the official delegations exchanged a series of
interagency agreements and memorandums in the presence of the heads of state.
For his significant contribution to the development of
cooperation between Kazakhstan and Cyprus, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev awarded Nikos
Christodoulides the Order of Dostyk, First Class.
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