Revised cooperation: what the Presidents of Kazakhstan and Korea agreed
After the official welcoming ceremony held at the Akorda residence, the heads of state held talks in a narrow format.
Kassym-Jomart Tokayev emphasized that the first state visit of President Moon Jae-in will give a powerful impetus to the development of Kazakhstan-South Korean political dialogue and economic interaction. The President of Kazakhstan expressed confidence that fruitful negotiations will take place on the whole range of issues on the agenda and mutually beneficial decisions will be made.
“This is your first state visit to Kazakhstan. Yesterday you took part in an important ceremony of returning the ashes of your national heroes to your homeland. I congratulate you on this event”, the Head of State said.
In turn, President Moon Jae-in expressed gratitude for the invitation to make a state visit to Kazakhstan and for the warm welcome. According to him, this visit is of particular importance, since this year marks the 10th anniversary of the establishment of a strategic partnership between Kazakhstan and Korea.
“Kazakhstan is a key partner in promoting the New Northern Policy of Korea, which provides the establishment of peace and the expansion of economic cooperation on the Eurasian continent. I hope my visit will give impetus not only to the development of bilateral relations, but also to the strengthening of multilateral cooperation between Korea and the countries of Central Asia”, the South Korean leader said.
During the meeting, the parties also discussed the prospects for bilateral cooperation in political, trade, economic, cultural and humanitarian spheres, as well as the interaction of countries within international organizations.
“Cultural and trade ties between the two nations have flourished for many centuries, since the Great Silk Road. The proximity of the history of our peoples is confirmed by the fact that the Kazakh and Korean languages belong to the same Ural-Altai language group”, the President of Kazakhstan said.
Kassym-Jomart Tokayev highlighted the contribution of First President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev to the establishment and strengthening of Kazakhstan-South Korean relations.
“Yelbasy stood at the origins of a bilateral partnership. He laid a solid foundation for friendship and cooperation between our countries and peoples”, the Head of State emphasized.
Kassym-Jomart Tokayev emphasized that over the years of Independence of Kazakhstan, the relations of the two countries reached a qualitatively new level of cooperation in almost all areas. He highly appreciated the activities of the Intergovernmental Commission and the Kazakhstan-South Korean Business Council.
“South Korea is one of the ten priority countries for Kazakhstan in terms of the development of trade, investment and technology cooperation. It is gratifying to note the gradual increase in the volume of mutual trade. At the end of last year, its figures reached a record 4 billion dollars, more than twice the volume of 2017. Systematically developing our cooperation in the field of investment. So, only the inflow of direct investments from Korea to Kazakhstan amounted to about 7 billion dollars. The South Korean business successfully operates in the food, mining, automotive and other sectors of our economy”, the President of Kazakhstan said.
Noting the importance of the contribution of the Korean diaspora to the strengthening of cultural and humanitarian ties between the two countries, the Head of State indicated that it is among the largest ethnic groups in Kazakhstan. Kassym-Zhomart Tokayev assured that the Government of Kazakhstan will continue to create conditions for the preservation of the ethno-cultural identity of Koreans living in our country.
In turn, the President of Korea, positively assessing the Development Strategy “Kazakhstan-2050”, stressed that among the countries of Central Asia, Kazakhstan is developing at the highest rates.
“Kazakhstan supports the peace process on the Korean Peninsula. Taking this opportunity, I would like to express my gratitude for your support. Kazakhstan is a country that has made economic progress after voluntarily renouncing nuclear weapons. This is a very important example for the Korean Peninsula”, Moon Jae-in stated.
At the end of the meeting, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev stressed that today's visit is of great importance from the point of view of further developing cooperation between the two countries, and assured that, as the Head of State, he will further strengthen the friendship of Kazakhstan and South Korea.
Photo by Bauyrzhan Zhuasbayev
