Mikhail Mishustin held talks with Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan Askar Mamin.
Excerpts from the transcript:
Mikhail Mishustin and Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan Askar Mamin
Russia-Kazakhstan talks
Russia-Kazakhstan talks
Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan Askar Mamin
Russia-Kazakhstan talks
Russia-Kazakhstan talks
Mikhail Mishustin and Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan Askar Mamin
Mikhail Mishustin: Mr Mamin, welcome.
I would like to welcome you once again at the Russian Federation Government House. This is an opportune moment to convey warm and heartfelt regards from President of Russia Vladimir Putin and myself to President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Kazakhstan’s first President and Leader of the Nation Nursultan Nazarbayev.
I have fond memories of our recent meeting in August when we were in Nur-Sultan. Following our talks with you, we issued a rather long list of instructions to our ministries and agencies on the practical projects Russia and Kazakhstan are implementing, as well as on a number of issues regarding our work in the EAEU.
We sincerely value our friendship, relations and partnership with the friendly people of Kazakhstan. Our countries are linked by very special, years-long, fraternal and friendly ties. We have a busy bilateral agenda and many opportunities for constructive work and for implementing new projects and new ideas.
Of course, we would like to boost our relations to an even higher level, and we regard many industries as promising areas of cooperation, namely, mining, power generation, renewable energy sources, the peaceful use of nuclear energy, ICT, transport infrastructure and many other sectors that are in the focus of our attention.
I would like to mention the Agroexpress project, which the Russian Export Centre and Russian Railways are implementing jointly with Kazakh partners. It will allow us to make better use of the potential of our logistics infrastructure, including to increase transit to Central Asia and China.
Russia-Kazakhstan trade and economic cooperation is developing at a high pace. You and I have pointed out on many occasions that our bilateral trade has resumed the growth trajectory. From January to August this year, it increased by over 30 percent compared to the same period in 2020 and exceeded $16 billion. Mr Mamin, I have no doubt that by the end of this year our trade will reach a record level, which is certainly encouraging.
Russia and Kazakhstan are working closely together against the coronavirus infection. The Sputnik V vaccine is being produced at the Karaganda Pharmaceutical Complex. You and I launched this project only recently, and now it is working energetically, and 7 million doses of the vaccine have already been manufactured. I am confident that large-scale immunisation of the people will help to protect their health and push the pandemic back.
In addition to their bilateral cooperation, Russia and Kazakhstan are working together within the framework of the Eurasian Economic Union. Today we will be discussing preparations for the next meeting of the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council, which will be held in mid-November in Yerevan (Armenia) under Kazakhstan’s chairmanship.
Mr Mamin, you have the floor.
Askar Mamin: Mr Mishustin, colleagues, I am delighted to have this opportunity to meet and to discuss current aspects of our bilateral cooperation, our collaboration in integration associations, our intensive contacts at the highest level, and our intergovernmental ties, which is fully in the spirit of Kazakhstani-Russian partnership.
Our meeting today is being held amid the dynamic recovery of our economies. We can already state that our GDP exceeds the pre-pandemic level in both Kazakhstan and Russia, which is good news. Our mutual trade, as you mentioned, has increased by one-third, or more precisely by nearly 30 percent, compared to 2020 and exceeded the 2019 level. This means that we have returned to the pre-pandemic level of cooperation, mutual trade and economic growth.
Mr Mishustin, another indicator I would like to mention is the volume of Russian direct investment in Kazakhstan, which increased by 20 percent over the first six months of the year, which is a very good indicator. Overall, I would like to tell you that foreign direct investment in Kazakhstan over the first six months of 2020 increased by more than 30 percent. This shows that investment cooperation is resurging, and today we can say that mutual cooperation is growing in a number of our countries’ crucial economic sectors, notably, industry, transit and transportation, agribusiness and construction. I am sure that we have good potential, which we must continue to make use of, and that our mutual trade will exceed $20 billion by the end of the year. This is a very good, impressive figure, which we have every opportunity to reach.
I would like to point out that a special sphere that is developing especially dynamically is transit and transportation, and that today we will hold a separate discussion on this important issue. Kazakhstan and Russia are transit countries, and the ability to use the transit potential of our economies is a major feature. I believe that we have huge potential in this sphere. Considering the development of trade between Asia and Europe, we must make the full use of our transit capabilities. I have no doubt that our meeting today will be very fruitful and useful to both sides.
Mikhail Mishustin: Mr Mamin, thank you. I am absolutely sure that this will be so. However, I would like to note that when you speak about direct investment, foreign investment, Russia should be identified as a fraternal neighbour.
Investments are growing on both sides, which is delightful. Thank you.
