President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of Kazakhstan and President Emmanuel Macron of France engaged in expanded negotiations, involving the official delegations of both nations. The talks, which took place in Astana, marked President Macron's first visit to Kazakhstan and aimed to propel the already flourishing relations between the two countries to new heights.
President Tokayev expressed his optimism regarding the significant boost this visit would provide for the development of bilateral relations. He hailed France as an essential and reliable partner within the European Union, underscoring the remarkable growth in mutual economic collaboration in recent years.
"France is an important and reliable partner of Kazakhstan in the European Union. Last year, mutual turnover grew by 30% and reached $4bn. The volume of bilateral trade over eight months of this year increased by 21% compared to last year, amounting to $2.7bn," President Tokayev stated.
The president further highlighted France's substantial investments in Kazakhstan, amounting to approximately $18.7bn. These investments have materialized in numerous sectors, including energy, construction, aerospace, pharmaceuticals, mining, chemical industries, and mechanical engineering.
President Tokayev commended President Macron for his personal dedication to fostering these mutually beneficial relations and affirmed Kazakhstan's commitment to further strengthening cooperation for the betterment of both nations.
During the negotiations, both leaders delineated key areas for future collaboration, emphasizing "green" energy, logistics, transit, agriculture, healthcare, digitalization, and education as priority sectors for development. President Tokayev also stressed the importance of nurturing cultural ties and the promotion of French culture and language in Kazakhstan.
In response, President Macron expressed his eagerness to enhance economic relations in sectors such as agriculture, energy, and renewable energy, with a focus on supporting existing projects and exploring new initiatives. The two leaders also announced agreements in the field of education and science, with plans for the Kazakh-French University to commence operations in September 2024.
"We support investments in both already implemented projects and in new initiatives. In addition, our cultural and humanitarian cooperation is dynamically developing," President Macron stated.
As 2023 marks the 15th anniversary of the Agreement on Strategic Partnership between the two nations, both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthen bilateral relations across a broad spectrum of mutual interests. They emphasized the significance of positive and sustainable collaboration on key regional and global issues and the need to deepen their dialogue through international organizations.
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