Kazakhstan and Russia: new horizons of strategic partnership
The relations between Kazakhstan and Russia serve as a model of strong and unbreakable friendship. Our strategic partnership and alliance are based on close historical and cultural ties, as well as shared responsibility for the future of the two peoples.
Our countries, despite unprecedented global challenges, show an example of good-neighborliness and multifaceted cooperation. Such cooperation is based on common interests, mutual respect, constructive political dialog at a high level.
We maintain regular contacts with Russian President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, which are characterized by frankness, business and mutual respect. This allows us to promptly resolve emerging issues and strengthen the truly friendly nature of relations between our states. Over the past year alone, the President of Russia and I have held four full-scale talks, met on the margins of international events on numerous occasions and talked on the phone.
President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin and President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kasym-Jomart Tokayev
Thanks to the efforts of the governments and business representatives of the two countries, trade and economic cooperation between Kazakhstan and Russia is steadily gaining momentum.
Now 23 thousand Russian companies are fruitfully working in Kazakhstan, 4 thousand of which opened their doors only last year, which testifies to the high dynamics of our cooperation.
The volume of mutual investments is also consistently increasing. In 2023, Russian companies invested more than $3 billion in Kazakhstan, and Kazakhstan invested the same amount in the Russian economy. Our countries create all necessary conditions to support investors, providing a comfortable environment for doing business.
Kazakhstan and Russia carry out large-scale joint activities in energy, industry, transportation and logistics, agriculture and many other sectors. To date, more than 90 projects worth more than $18 billion have been implemented, and 49 more promising projects are in the execution stage.
Among the most significant ones are the start of construction of three thermal power plants in Kazakhstan, modernization of Ekibastuz GRES, as well as large-scale initiatives on gasification of a number of regions of our country, increasing transit of Russian energy resources in the southern and eastern directions.
Astana and Moscow are working fruitfully within the framework of the Eurasian Economic Union, which today has become an important mechanism of integration in the Eurasian space and has gained international prestige.
By the way, the agreement on the establishment of the Eurasian Economic Union is 10 years old this year. As the initiators and founders of this union, Kazakhstan and Russia from the very beginning sought to consistently strengthen comprehensive cooperation in order to increase competitiveness at the global level. Over the past time, the EAEU has proved its effectiveness as one of the most important platforms where the process of integration of economic policies of the member states and development of mutual trade is successfully realized.
The state visit of Russian President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin to Kazakhstan will be a particularly important event in the history of Kazakh-Russian relations. This visit has the highest interstate status, emphasizing the special significance of the strategic partnership between our countries.
During the upcoming meeting with the Russian President in Astana, we will discuss a wide range of issues related to cooperation in trade and economic, transportation and logistics, fuel and energy, and scientific and technical areas. We also plan to discuss further cooperation within the framework of international organizations and integration structures, as well as to exchange views on the world situation, which, unfortunately, has become critical in its tension.
We in Kazakhstan always remember that our countries are united by the world's longest land border. In our view, this is the border of eternal friendship and genuine good-neighborliness. It is also extremely important that about 32 million people live in the border regions on both sides. The regions of the two countries make a significant contribution to the strengthening of our interstate relations. Therefore, an important item on the program of the visit will be the joint participation of the heads of state in the work of the XX Forum of Interregional Cooperation.
Astana, Kazakhstan
I am confident that the forthcoming visit will give a powerful impetus to investment and trade interaction, will promote the launch of new joint projects for the benefit of the citizens of the two countries.
Our countries are preparing to honorably meet the 80th anniversary of the Great Victory. Careful attitude to the common history runs through the cooperation between Kazakhstan and Russia.
In the twentieth century, our peoples together passed a severe test, defeating fascism in the most terrible war in the history of mankind. Kazakhstanis fought selflessly at the front. Kazakhstan became a reliable strategic rear, providing the army with necessary military products and food. Hundreds of thousands of families found shelter on the Kazakh land during evacuation.
The words "No one is forgotten, nothing is forgotten" are not just a beautiful slogan for Kazakhstanis, but a capacious reflection of the eternal national memory of the unparalleled feats of war veterans and home front workers.
Cultural and humanitarian ties between our countries are actively developing: cultural days, festivals and exhibitions are regularly held, which find a positive response from the public.
Last year was held under the aegis of large-scale "Russian Seasons" in our country. This year the Days of Culture of Astana took place in Moscow, the central event of which was the staging of the opera "Abai" on the stage of the Bolshoi Theater. Kazakhstan's exhibitions will also be held in Russia's main museums - the Tretyakov Gallery and the Hermitage.
Kazakhstan's participation in the Games of the Future in Kazan and the performance of Russian athletes at the World Nomad Games in Astana emphasize the relevance of new formats of humanitarian cooperation. Continuing this relay race, Kazakhstan will host the next Games of the Future in 2026, initiated by Russia.
Cooperation in the educational sphere is being filled with new content. We plan to open Russian schools in the southern regions of our country. In turn, we are counting on the establishment of Kazakh schools in Russian cities bordering Kazakhstan.
Currently, about 60,000 Kazakh students are studying in Russian educational institutions. There are plans to open a branch of the Moscow State Institute of International Relations in Astana and a representative office of the Al-Farabi Kazakh National University in Omsk.
In Kazakhstan more than 3.5 thousand schools teach in Pushkin's language, TV channels and radio stations broadcast, newspapers and magazines are published, Russian drama theaters delight their audience in almost all regions.
Our country initiated the creation of the International Organization for the Russian Language under the auspices of the CIS. The organization will be engaged in the development of cooperation between the countries of the commonwealth on the issues of support and promotion of the Russian language. I am convinced that this will contribute to strengthening friendship, good-neighborliness, inter-ethnic harmony, mutual understanding and trust between our peoples.
Kazakhstan and Russia successfully interact in the international arena, defending the ideas of multipolarity, peaceful dialog, respect for the sovereignty of all states.
The positions of Kazakhstan and Russia are consonant on many issues on the global and regional agenda. This fact is reflected in the coordination of our efforts within the framework of integration associations and multilateral platforms, including the CIS, CSTO, SCO, CICA and others.
In July of this year, the SCO summit was held in Astana, which resulted in the adoption of the declaration "On World Unity for Just Peace, Harmony and Development". The document emphasizes that the SCO can contribute to the creation of a new architecture of united and indivisible security in Eurasia.
A landmark event of the outgoing year was the meeting of the CIS Council of Heads of State held in Moscow in October, at which the CIS countries reaffirmed their commitment to developing mutually beneficial multifaceted cooperation.
This year Kazakhstan is chairing the Collective Security Treaty Organization. The upcoming Astana Summit will be an important event in strengthening regional security and stability. My country aims to fully support joint efforts aimed at peacefully ensuring collective security and maintaining friendly ties between participating States.
Enlarged meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), October 8, 2024
I would also like to note the impressive results of the historic BRICS summit in Kazan. This forum was made possible thanks to the personal efforts and authority of Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin and Russia's effective chairmanship of this association, which represents the interests of more than 45% of the world's population.
Summing up, we can confidently state that this year has been very productive in our bilateral cooperation. At the same time, we have a big plan for 2025, during which a large number of joint initiatives and projects are to be realized. I am confident that all of them will bring tangible benefits to the citizens of both countries.
Kazakhstan and Russia have built truly friendly and, most importantly, trusting relations based on good-neighborliness and alliance. I believe that together we are capable of realizing the most ambitious plans that meet our fundamental interests. As for our country, we have been and remain a reliable strategic partner and ally of Russia in this difficult period of history filled with conflicts and cataclysms.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
