Mikhail Mishustin held talks with Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan Olzhas Bektenov.
Excerpts the transcript:
Mikhail Mishustin and Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan Olzhas Bektenov
Russian-Kazakhstani talks
Russian-Kazakhstani talks
Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan Olzhas Bektenov
Mikhail Mishustin and Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan Olzhas Bektenov
Mikhail Mishustin: Good afternoon, Mr Bektenov, dear friends.
We are happy to see you at the Government House of the Russian Federation. And first of all, I would like to personally congratulate you on your appointment as Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
It is important for us that you have started your first foreign visit with the Russian Federation. I believe this fully reflects the nature of the special relations between the Russian Federation and Kazakhstan. I know this relationship is fraternal in nature.
I confirm my readiness to work productively with you on the entire rich agenda of our cooperation. Our main goal is to ensure the implementation of all the decisions and agreements reached by our leaders, the presidents of Russia and Kazakhstan. And, taking this opportunity, I would ask you to convey greetings and best wishes to President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev both from President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin and from me personally.
We prioritise the strengthening of our neighbourly and allied relations with Kazakhstan. They are based on the principles of mutual respect, trust, strategic partnership and the historical friendship of our nations.
Despite the turbulent global economy, Russian-Kazakhstani cooperation is developing successfully. Russia ranks first among Kazakhstan's foreign trade partners. Last year, mutual trade exceeded 2.5 trillion roubles, or 12.6 trillion tenge, and broke the 2022 record. Accumulated Russian investment in the Kazakh economy totaled about 1.5 trillion roubles. Ambitious projects are being implemented in industry, equipment manufacturing, energy, petrochemicals, transport infrastructure, and digital technologies.
And of course, the Intergovernmental Commission on Economic Cooperation is doing a lot of work. From the Russian side, it is headed by Alexei Overchuk.
I am confident that Russia and Kazakhstan have great potential for cooperation on transport and logistics infrastructure. We are connected by the longest land border in the world – over 7,500 km. The most important transit routes in Eurasia run through our countries. We pay special attention to developing the North-South international corridor, and its eastern and Trans-Caspian routes. I am convinced that in the future it will become a global transport artery in the interests of all states in the Eurasian region.
We both work to strengthen our interregional cooperation. Most constituent entities of the Russian Federation have friendly and direct business and humanitarian ties with the regions of Kazakhstan.
Our countries are united by strong cultural and humanitarian ties. Branches of Russian universities successfully operate in Kazakhstan. Over 60,000 Kazakhstani students study in Russia. For this academic year, the Government has allocated 200 more Kazakhstani citizens admission to Russian universities.
And I would like to thank the authorities of Kazakhstan for their caring attitude towards the Russian language. It is a language of interethnic communication and helps establish contacts between people.
Russia and Kazakhstan work together in the Eurasian Economic Union. We advocate deepening integration processes in order to develop, first of all, our national economies and improve the well-being of our citizens.
Mr Bektenov, we have an ambitious, busy agenda.
I have the pleasure of giving you the floor.
Olzhas Bektenov: Thank you very much, Mr Mishustin.
First, let me thank you for the invitation to visit the Russian Federation, in Moscow. I accepted it with great pleasure because our countries have been and will remain strategic partners and allies. Thank you again.
Taking the opportunity, I would like to congratulate you on your belated birthday, wish you all the best, good health, and further success in your responsibilities.
Relations between our countries are developing productively – as you noted – in many areas, including the economic, humanitarian and cultural areas. Therefore, I am confident that the governments of our countries will do their best to implement all the agreements reached by the leaders of our countries.
Just recently, on 21 February, President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev participated in the opening of the Games of the Future in Kazan. I think this was a very large event; our leader noted this.
During Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to Kazakhstan last November, significant agreements were reached, and a number of important documents were signed, which the two governments will have to work on in order to implement them. In general, trade and economic cooperation is developing in an upward trend. You noted the large figures of mutual trade between our countries. There are a number of major industrial and energy projects that will be carried out in the near future or have already been completed. So, I think we have something to discuss, something to work on. Both my colleagues and me personally are completely ready for productive cooperation.
