Kazakh First Vice Prime Minister attended the 21st session of Kazakh-Russian IPC
The 21st session of the Inter-Parliamentary Commission on collaboration between Kazakhstan and Russia involving Kazakhstan’s First Vice Minister – Finance Minister Alikhan Smailov and Russia’s First Vice Prime Minister – Finance Minister Anton Siluanov, Strategy2050.kz cites the Kazakh Finance Ministry.
The session touched upon wider issues of trade and economic cooperation, fuel and energy, peaceful uses of nuclear energy, industry, transport, agriculture, health, environmental protection, education and science, social and labor relations, information technology, culture, tourism, interregional and cross-border cooperation, as well as business circles’ cooperation.
Traditionally, Kazakhstan and Russia have high bilateral interaction across the entire spectrum of interstate ties backed up by regular meetings both at the heads of state level and other levels. The countries’ trade and economic cooperation is systematically evolving, with Russia remaining the number one trading partner of Kazakhstan (19.5% in the Kazakh foreign trade turnover).
Kazakhstan and Russia’s 2018 trade turnover stood at $18.5B, up by 13.1% over the 2017 figure ($16.4B). During 8 months of this year, that has seen a 0.8% growth, reaching $12.2 B (8 months of 2018 - $12.1B).
During the meeting, First Deputy Prime Minister – Minister Finance Minister Alikhan Smailov accentuated the development of the transit capacity of Kazakhstan, with a particular focus on the large-scale project West Europe - West China that will be completed any time soon.
“The works on the large-scale road project West Europe – West China have been under way in recent days. I am sure we could realize our full transit potential,” Alikhan Smailov said.
The conclusion of the Protocol of the 21st session of the Kazakh-Russian Inter-Parliamentary Commission followed the discussions, where the Commission members suggested holding the next session of the Kazakh-Russian Business Council as part of the Forum on interregional cooperation among Kazakhstan and Russia with the participation of the Heads of State.
We note the 16th Forum on Interregional Cooperation among Kazakhstan and Russia dubbed Current Issues of Border Cooperation Development involving the Heads of States will take place on 6-7 November 2019 in Omsk, Russia.
The Commission encouraged to attach attention to the exchange of experiences of the work on interaction between chambers and businesses, regional cooperation development, greater cooperation among Kazakh and Russian enterprises, including access to third markets.
The next 22nd session will be held in 2020 in Russia.
