During
his state visit to Russia, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev held talks with
Russian President Vladimir Putin. The meeting was preceded by an official
welcoming ceremony in the St. George Hall of the Grand Kremlin Palace, where
the two leaders introduced members of their delegations and the national
anthems of both countries were performed. During the narrow-format talks, Tokayev
emphasized that the strategic partnership between Kazakhstan and Russia is not just a figure of speech but the very essence
of the countries’ cooperation, noting that all
emerging issues are being resolved.
«For us, the state visit to the Russian
Federation is perhaps the highlight of this year. We carefully prepared for it,
holding consultations across ministries and agencies, as the scale of our
cooperation is truly unique. There is not a single area where we do not
interact and collaborate with the Russian Federation,» Tokayev said.
«Our relations with Kazakhstan are
developing steadily. Both practice and reality confirm what is written in our
fundamental documents. Kazakhstan and Russia are each other’s closest partners,
friends, and reliable allies. This is confirmed by concrete actions,» Putin noted.
The Presidents discussed
details of future partnership in an expanded format with government
representatives.
The sides noted the active growth of economic cooperation – trade turnover in the first nine months of this year
reached $20 billion, with plans to increase it to $30 billion. Currently, 175
major joint projects are being implemented, with high
potential for further expansion. To support this,
the
parties agreed to continue creating all the necessary
conditions for doing business and adopted a
comprehensive program of economic cooperation until 2030. Energy was
highlighted as one of the promising areas of
partnership. Tokayev noted the productive collaboration with Rosatom, including
the project to build the first nuclear
power plant. The two sides also agreed to strengthen cooperation in oil,
electricity, and gas production and transportation.
«We agreed to consistently expand the capabilities of projects such as the North-South Railway, the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, the Ayagoz-Bakhty, Dostyk-Moiynty railway lines, among others. We emphasized the importance of improving cross-border logistics infrastructure and streamlining border crossing points. We intend to continue our collaboration to advance the promising Trans-Altai Dialogue initiative,» Tokayev stated.
Education also plays a significant role in bilateral
cooperation. Currently, nine branches of Russian universities operate in Kazakhstan, and more than 60,000 of Kazakh students
study in Russia. Cultural and humanitarian
cooperation is also developing. Following the talks, Tokayev and Putin signed a
Declaration on the transition of Kazakhstan-Russia relations to a comprehensive
strategic partnership and alliance. The parties also concluded a number of
agreements, including the establishment of a Russian Consulate General in Aktau
and the creation of an intergovernmental commission for flight testing of the
Soyuz-5 and the Baiterek complex.
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