Kazakhstan, Austria boost cooperation

7 March, 2019 16:05

Kazakhstan and Austria, having strong political and economic ties, are paving a way to further the multilateral political cooperation, fully reach the trade and economic ties’ realization, closely cooperate internationally, with both sides confirming the interest in enhancing relations.

During Kazakh Foreign Minister Beibut Atamkulov and Austrian delegation led by First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs – Secretary General of the Ministry for Europe, Integration and Foreign Affairs of Austria Johannes Peterlik’s meeting, a wide array of issues of political, economic and cultural and humanitarian cooperation was brought to the interlocutors’ attention, with them confirming reciprocal commitment to long-term interaction.

The talks’ major theme addressed the upgrading of both Foreign Ministries’ interaction in terms of tasks aiming at strengthening the economic pillar of Kazakhstan’s foreign policy, the Kazakh Foreign Ministry’s press service informed.

“One of the main tasks set by the Head of State to the Foreign Ministry is the attraction of investments and new technologies to our country”, Kazakh Foreign Minister Beibut Atamkulov said.

The Kazakh side informed on its interest in carrying out joint projects in agriculture, “green” and digital economy, industry and infrastructure development, with approximately 50 enterprises, involving Austrian capital, running in Kazakhstan. The level of Austria’s investments in Kazakhstan’s economy is higher than US $5.7bn.

Kazakhstan is willing to build up a trust-based political dialogue with Austria, with the planned visit of Austrian Foreign Minister Karin Kneissl to Kazakhstan reflecting the tasks to strengthen political cooperation. The February visit of Chairman of the Mazhilis of the Kazakh Parliament, Nurlan Nigmatulin, to Austria is a sign of productive development of interparliamentary ties.

An exchange of views on the current regional and international issues, including the prospects for regional cooperation in Central Asia, the enhancement of cooperation in the transit and transport area as part of the “Belt and Road” Initiative, the Afghan situation’s settlement, the fight against illegal migration, and other aspects of the international agenda, said to took place.

The Kazakh Foreign Minister presented the key peacekeeping initiatives of the Head of State focusing on comprehensive security in the Eurasian area, including the International Conference on Security and Cooperation dated to the 45th anniversary of the Helsinki Accords, that will take place in Astana in 2020.

“An enhancement of bilateral relations in the energy efficiency, green economy, and an expansion of bilateral trade as a whole are the bilateral agenda’s priorities in the medium to long term”, Johannes Peterlik said.

Speaking of Kazakhstan’s efforts to strengthen the global security, the demand for the Kazakh President’s initiative to convene a meeting of the US, Russian, Chinese, UE leaders were marked.

The meeting resulted in agreements between the interlocutors on investment projects, opportunities to enhance bilateral trade.

Both sides placed the same importance to develop a constructive and trustful dialogue in the EU-Central Asia format, with the Minister noting that Kazakhstan, that actively support the cooperation with the EU in the regional format, attaches special significance to the New EU Strategy for Central Asia that is currently under development and expected to be adopted in the first half year of 2019.

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