Russia, Kazakhstan discuss economic and int'l issues

By Azernews

By Ali Mustafayev

Russian President Vladimir Putin has held a telephone conversation with his Kazakh counterpart Nursultan Nazarbayev to mull bilateral and global issues, as well as the schedule of future meetings.

"There was an exchange of views on issues concerning bilateral cooperation, including the schedule of the further meetings at various levels, as well as on global issues," the Kremlin press service said in a statement on August14.

Previously, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, who is currently on a visit to Kazakhstan’s capital of Astana to participate in a session of the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council, held a meeting with Nazarbayev.

The parties discussed the current state of trade and economic cooperation between Russia and Kazakhstan, as well as the prospects for boosting bilateral relations.

“We are glad for the success of friendly Kazakhstan in organizing the “EXPO - 2017”. It is a big event for you and generally for our Union. Today, we discuss current economic issues within EIC. I want to thank you for the excellent working facilities  and express hope that our bilateral relations will develop as good and progressively as it was in recent years,” Medvedev said.

Kazakhstan and Russia are both founding members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the Collective Security Treaty Organization and are additionally part of the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council and the Commonwealth  of Independent States. Both also founded the Eurasian Economic Union with Belarus.

Kazakhstan sells petroleum and natural gas to its northern neighbor, allows heavy investment from Russian businesses, and concluded an agreement over the Baikonur Cosmodrome.

Russia is one of the main trade partners of Kazakhstan, according to data from the Kazakh Statistics Committee.

In January-February 2017, as much as 22 percent of Kazakhstan’s foreign trade fell on Russia, 38.6 percent – on the EU, and 12 percent – on China. The trade volume between Kazakhstan and Russia hit almost $2.425 billion, including $671.55 million of Kazakhstan’s exports and $1.754 billion of Kazakhstan’s imports.