Kazakh President set to pay official visit to Turkey

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ASTANA. KAZINFORM - Foreign Affairs Minister of Kazakhstan Kairat Abdrakhmanov is currently on an official visit to Turkey to discuss the upcoming official visit of President Nursultan Nazarbayev to the country this summer. 

Astana and Ankara are also gearing up for a session of the High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council which will be co-chaired by leaders of the two countries, Kazinform has learnt from the press service of Kazakh MFA.



During the talks Minister Abdrakhmanov and his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu agreed to finalize the agenda of the upcoming events and the package of the documents which are set to be signed during President Nazarbayev's visit to Ankara. The sides are also working to conclude a range of economic contracts. Transport, agriculture, SMEs, and tourism are the most promising areas for cooperation between Kazakhstan and Turkey. Kazakhstan is keen to develop transport and transit potential of the two nations.

Turkey remains Kazakhstan's key investment partner. The governments of the two countries are busy working to implement the agreements reached during President Erdogan's visit to Astana last September. The sides are also implementing the joint economic program "New Synergy". Turkish investors and the Kazakh side have implemented 32 projects in non-resource-based sectors to the tune of $1.4 billion. Yildiz Holding, Eczacibasi Holding, Abdi Ibrahim, Anadolu Holding, Aselsan Elektorinik, and YDA Holding are among the most active investors. Astana and Ankara are also working in order to ensure more new Turkish companies coming to Kazakhstan.



In 2017, two-way trade between Kazakhstan and Turkey increased by 28% in contrast to 2016 and totaled $1.9 billion.

During the meeting, Kazakhstan's top diplomat talked about the initiatives on modernization of the country's economy and the Rukhani Janghyru program. Switchover of the Kazakh language to the Latin-based script generated intense interest of the Turkish side. The ministers also touched upon the preparations for the Cooperation Council Summit of the Turkic-Speaking Countries and functioning of the Turkic Academy based in Astana.

During the talks, the sides also voiced their support for the Astana process on Syria. Abdrakhmanov said that in the conditions of the ongoing conflict in Syria, Astana remains the only effective platform to stop bloodshed in Syria. The Astana process needs even greater support of the international community in order to improve the situation in Syria. At the same, according to Minister Abdrakhmanov, the Geneva platform under the UN aegis should be supported as a platform of political settlement.

While in Turkey, Kazakhstan's delegation is expected to hold meetings with local politicians, businessmen, experts and representatives of mass media.

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