China, Kazakhstan to enhance BRI cooperation
In 2018 alone, the BRI cooperation brought huge tangible benefits to the two countries and the two peoples.
The second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation (BRF) is scheduled from April 25 to 27 in Beijing. The Belt and Road international cooperation, which adheres to the principle of wide consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits, has injected impetus to world economy and boosted common development of all countries, against the backdrop of resurging trade protectionism and rising anti-globalization.
The Belt and Road Initiative was first proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping in Kazakhstan. Since then, China and Kazakhstan have seen fruitful outcomes delivered from the BRI cooperation.
In 2018 alone, the BRI cooperation brought huge tangible benefits to the two countries and the two peoples.
Last year, the trade volume between China and Kazakhstan reached $19.885 billion, among which Kazakh exports to China were worth $8.535 billion, increasing nearly 30 percent year-on-year.
Bilateral trade on farm products has seen rapid growth. In 2018, the trade on farm products between the two countries grew to $596 million, a rise of 18.13 percent on the previous year, of which Kazakh exports to China increased by 37.6 percent.
Kazakhstan signed agreements on exports of over 20 varieties of its farm products including dairy and meat during the first China International Import Expo. Nowadays, more Kazakh green food was put on tables of the Chinese people.
China and Kazakhstan seek to promote greater connectivity through transit transport.
Last year, 13.98 million tons of goods were transported between the two countries under support of the BRI, up by 38 percent year on year. Kazakhstan transported 8.5 million tons of goods to China, a rise of 54 percent year on year.
Last year, 2,388 China-Europe freight trains passed through the Alataw Pass and goods transported grew by nearly 50 percent year on year to 1.23 million tons. The number of China-Europe freight trains passing through Horgos Port increased to 404.
Last year, the Kazakhstan section of the Western Europe-Western China Highway opened to traffic, supporting two-way transportation between China and Europe. About 50,000 jobs were created with direct economic benefits worth $460 million.
Cooperation on production capacity driven by technology innovation between the two countries has made steady progress. 55 projects have been included in the cooperation list with a total contract value exceeding $27.4 billion.
After the upgrade of Shymkent oil refinery and the modernization of Atyrau refinery, Kazakhstan's capacity in producing refined oil of European IV and V emission standards has been significantly improved, and its petrochemical industry has made substantial progress.
The 5-MW wind power generation station and the 1-MW solar power generation station built with the aid of Chinese companies have boosted the development of local green energy industry.
A Chinese dairy plant named Golden Camel in Turkestan could produce 2,500 tons of products per year, creating job opportunities in the local area and opening new markets for Kazakh dairy products.
Except for production capacity, China and Kazakhstan are also stepping up efforts to promote efficient and inclusive financial cooperation.
China has demonstrated strong support for the building of Astana International Financial Center, with Shanghai Stock Exchange and Silk Road Fund actively participating in the cooperation with the center. Besides, China Development Bank has also opened a representative office in the center.
The two countries are now accelerating the negotiation on establishing a regional RMB settlement center, as preparation for higher-level and larger-scale financial cooperation.
Thanks to closer people-to-people and cultural exchanges between China and Kazakhstan, about 15,000 Kazakh students are studying in China, and 1,400 Chinese students are studying in Kazakhstan.
Six Kazakh language and cultural centers as well as economic and social research institutes have been established in China, while Kazakhstan is also home to five Confucius Institutes.
Personal exchanges between the two countries are now better facilitated as Kazakh tourists can stay in south China's Hainan province for a most of 30 days visa-free, and Kazakhstan also offers a 72-hour visa-free transit policy to Chinese visitors.
China-Kazakhstan cooperation is a miniature of the Belt and Road international cooperation. The joint construction of the Belt and Road is a positive project that shares benefits with all parties. It sets no conspiracy or trap, but only a platform for cooperation and shared development opportunity.
We have every reason to believe that the second BRF will further build consensus, map out construction priorities, and find solutions to cooperation issues, to assist meticulous implementation of the BRI and create a better future for the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.
Source: People's Daily Online
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Kazakhstan’s Role as Middle Power in Focus at World Policy Conference
Images | Kazakh MFA
Kazakhstan’s contributions to addressing global challenges and its emerging role as a growing middle power were in the focus of discussions at the 17th annual World Policy Conference (WPC), organized by the French Institute of International Relations (IFRI) in Abu Dhabi on December 13-15, press service of the Kazakh MFA reports.
Thierry de Montbrial, founder and long-standing president of IFRI - one of Europe’s leading think tanks - moderated a conference session titled "Multivector Foreign Policies?". He highlighted Kazakhstan’s diplomatic course as a model for multivector diplomacy, which has earned the country recognition as a responsible partner in the international community. According to the distinguished French scholar, Kazakhstan has not only refined its approach to foreign policy but is also increasingly active in addressing global challenges as a middle power.
De Montbrial noted that this raises pertinent questions: What are the foundations of Kazakhstan’s foreign policy? How does it manage to maintain positive relations with various geopolitical power centers in an era of heightened tensions? And what can the country achieve in its newly acquired status, particularly, in conflict resolution efforts?
During the subsequent discussion, Kazakhstan’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Roman Vassilenko used the metaphor of the traditional Kazakh round felt house, the yurt, to explain the country’s balanced and pragmatic foreign policy. "In the traditional Kazakh home, there are no corners," he said. "Therefore, the need to take sides or choose a corner, as one might in a boxing ring, runs contrary to our national mentality.".
He further emphasized that "Kazakhstan rejects dividing nations into blocs. We believe that if states must indeed take a side, it should be the side of cooperation rather than rivalry, engagement rather than isolation, the rule of law rather than lawlessness, mutual benefit and the concept of a win-win outcome, rather than mutual exclusion and zero-sum games. Thanks to this approach, Kazakhstan has built mutually respectful and beneficial relationships with all its partners and enjoys amicable relations with all countries," he added.
Addressing what middle powers can do amid a crisis in the international security system, the Deputy Minister underscored Astana’s commitment to strengthening the United Nations as the sole global organization tasked with addressing issues of global development and security.
To this end, as President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has noted, the long-overdue reform of the UN Security Council must become a priority. For many years, the Security Council has been deadlocked on critical issues of war and peace. Kazakhstan believes the Security Council must become more representative and ensure fairer representation, reflecting today’s realities."
According to Roman Vassilenko, "what we can do as a middle power - and we take this designation very seriously - is to collaborate with like-minded nations, in a network of such countries in searching for collective solutions and in persuading global superpowers to prioritize the interests of humanity as a whole and urgently address critical global issues, such as climate change, inequality, poverty, etc.".
Responding to the moderator’s question on Kazakhstan’s stance toward the conflict in Ukraine, Vassilenko reiterated that "President Tokayev has consistently emphasized that the resolution of this problem can only be achieved through diplomacy. We advocate for the swift cessation of the conflict and the resolution of differences at the negotiating table. Kazakhstan is ready to fully support efforts in this direction.".
The panel discussion also featured Serbia’s Speaker of Parliament Ana Brnabić and Georgia’s First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Lasha Darsalia, who shared their countries’ approaches to the topic.
The conference explored issues of global geopolitics and economics, bringing together politicians, diplomats, experts, business leaders, and journalists from Europe, the Americas, Asia, and Africa. Representatives of international organizations such as the International Monetary Fund and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development also participated.
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Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Makes First Official Visit to Croatia
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Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Murat Nurtleu, arrived on an official visit to the Republic of Croatia at the invitation of the Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of Croatia, Gordan Grlić-Radman, press service of the Kazakh MFA reports.
This visit marks the first-ever official visit by a Kazakh Foreign Minister to Zagreb, setting a new milestone in the history of bilateral relations and will give a new impetus to the development of Kazakh-Croatian cooperation.
During the visit, the two sides discussed a broad range of bilateral issues, including political dialogue, strengthening trade, economic and investment collaboration, and enhancing cultural and humanitarian ties. It was emphasized that Kazakhstan and Croatia have substantial potential to deepen mutually beneficial cooperation in areas such as energy, transport (including civil aviation), agriculture, digitalization and innovation, education, and tourism.
The Kazakh Foreign Minister highlighted Croatia's role as a long-standing and close partner of Kazakhstan in the Balkans and the European Union. "We highly value our meaningful political dialogue at all levels, founded on friendship and mutual trust. Economic cooperation is one of the key areas of Kazakh-Croatian relations," said Nurtleu.
Croatia is Kazakhstan's third-largest trading partner in Southeast Europe. By the end of 2023, mutual trade turnover reached 432 million USD. In this regard, the two sides agreed to enhance the work of the Intergovernmental Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation, with its second meeting scheduled for 2025 in Astana.
The Croatian Foreign Minister expressed Zagreb's interest in fostering progressive relations with Astana and reaffirmed Croatia’s readiness to promote mutually beneficial partnerships across all areas of shared interest.
The two sides also exchanged views on topical issues on the international agenda and discussed cooperation within multilateral frameworks such as the UN, OSCE, and others. Particular attention was paid to aspects of partnership in Central Asia and the Balkans, as well as to matters of ensuring global and regional stability.
Following the meeting, two key documents were signed: Cooperation Program between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan and the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of Croatia for 2025-2027, and a Memorandum of Cooperation between the Institute of Diplomacy, Academy of Public Administration of Kazakhstan and the Croatian Diplomatic Academy.
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Kazakh Foreign Ministry Bids Warm Farewell to North Macedonian Ambassador
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Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan Roman Vassilenko received Ambassador of North Macedonia Sali Limani on the occasion of completion of his diplomatic mission in Kazakhstan, press service of the Kazakh MFA reports.
The Kazakh diplomat presented Sali Limani with the Certificate of Appreciation on behalf of Deputy Prime Minister - Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Murat Nurtleu, emphasizing North Macedonian Ambassador’s productive efforts in promoting bilateral political, trade and economic ties during his mission in Kazakhstan. He also underlined participation of the delegation of North Macedonia in the World Nomad Games in Astana and successful entry of the well-established pharmaceutical Alkaloid company, backed by 88 years of work, into the Kazakh market.
The parties noted that the recent meeting between the heads of state Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova within the framework of the COP29 in Baku and the invitation to the North Macedonian leader to visit Kazakhstan next year provided a significant momentum to bilateral cooperation. The diplomats expressed confidence that the opening of the Embassy of Kazakhstan in North Macedonia this year will further deepen relations.
At the conclusion of the meeting, Deputy Minister Vassilenko extended his best wishes for Ambassador Limani’s future endeavours.
In his turn, having completed four years of productive work in Astana, the Ambassador of North Macedonia conveyed gratitude to the Kazakh side for the warm reception and expressed hope for the continued fruitful partnership between the two countries.
For reference: during January-September 2024, trade turnover between Kazakhstan and North Macedonia reached 5.7 million US dollars (exports - $204,000, imports - $5.5 million). The main imported goods are medical products, packaged for retail sale.
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Kazakh-Finnish Cooperation Priorities Outlined at Foreign Ministry
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Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan Roman Vassilenko met with newly appointed Ambassador of the Republic of Finland to the Republic of Kazakhstan Janne Heiskanen, press service of the Kazakh MFA reports.
The parties noted the significant impulse to bilateral relations provided by the recent meeting between the heads of two states Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Alexander Stubb in Baku and the invitation to the Finnish leader to visit Kazakhstan next year.
Welcoming productive work of the Intergovernmental Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation, the parties expressed their shared interest in further strengthening Kazakh-Finnish partnership.
The Deputy Foreign Minister stressed the importance of increasing business ties and broadening the legal framework of bilateral relations, as well as close cooperation with Finland within the multilateral framework, including the UN, EU and the OSCE.
The Kazakh side wished Finland success in an important task chairing the OSCE in 2025. It was noted that despite serious crisis faced by the Organization, it remains a unique and indispensable platform for dialogue and cooperation. The Deputy Minister underlined the continued importance of provisions of the Helsinki Final Act, marking its 50th anniversary next year, as well as other fundamental OSCE documents, including the 2010 Astana Summit Final Declaration.
In conclusion of the meeting the Deputy Foreign Minister wished Finland’s Ambassador successful and productive work in Kazakhstan.
For reference: In 2023, the Kazakh-Finnish mutual trade reached 208.2 million US dollars (exports - 3.1 million, imports - 205.1 million); during January-September, 2024 - around 142 million US dollars (exports - 8 million, imports - 134 million). The gross inflow of investment from Finland to Kazakhstan since 2005 has amounted to 432.8 million dollars. There are 71 enterprises with the participation of Finnish capital registered in Kazakhstan.
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