Kazakhstan and Oman: New Horizons of Cooperation

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia hosted the 2nd round of Kazakh-Saudi political consultations co-chaired by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Alibek Bakayev and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Saudi Arabia Saud Al-Sati, press service of the Kazakh MFA reports.

During the political consultations, the parties highly appreciated the positive dynamics and successful development of Kazakh-Saudi relations based on the principles of friendship and mutually beneficial partnership.

The diplomats discussed a wide range of issues of political, trade, economic, cultural and humanitarian cooperation. Particular attention was paid to the establishment and expansion of cooperation in the fields of trade and investment, transport and logistics, tourism, agriculture and food security, youth and sports.

In order to further strengthen bilateral cooperation, the parties confirmed their intention to continue the practice of exchanging visits, as well as to expand the legal framework between the two countries.

The participants exchanged views on topical issues of regional and international agenda, as well as on mutually beneficial partnership within the framework of multilateral structures such as the UN, OIC, OPEC+ and others. An important aspect of multilateral cooperation is the further development of the Dialogue Platform "Central Asia - Gulf Cooperation Council", the first Summit of which was held in July 2023 in Jeddah.

Following the meeting, the parties agreed to maintain a close dialogue between the ministries of foreign affairs and emphasized the need for regular bilateral consultations.

 

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Alibek Kuantyrov held meetings with senior officials from Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, Ministry of Petroleum Resources, and other key government agencies. These discussions as part of the official visit of the Kazakh delegation are aimed to enhance economic and political cooperation between the two nations, press service of the Kazakh MFA reports.

During talks with Permanent Secretary of Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dunoma Umar Ahmed, the two sides explored opportunities for strengthening collaboration on international platforms, including the UN, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and other multilateral formats. The discussions also covered economic cooperation, with an emphasis on boosting direct engagement between the business communities of both countries.

Deputy Foreign Minister of Kazakhstan underscored the importance of strengthening ties with Nigeria, noting that the meeting between the presidents of Kazakhstan and Nigeria in Abu Dhabi in January 2025 set an ambitious pace for cooperation and outlined promising areas of engagement. "To enhance trade relations, we propose establishing direct connections between the business sectors of Kazakhstan and Nigeria, organizing trade missions, and addressing bilateral trade challenges together. Strengthening these ties will create new opportunities for business partnerships and deepen economic cooperation between our countries", said Kuantyrov.

In his meeting with Nigeria’s Minister of Petroleum Resources, Heineken Lokpobiri, the discussions focused on exploration, extraction, transportation, and refining of oil and petroleum products. Kazakhstan and Nigeria expressed interest in exploring potential deliveries of Kazakh oil for processing at Nigerian refineries. Minister Lokpobiri reaffirmed Nigeria’s strong interest in the partnership, highlighting that, despite being one of the world’s largest oil producers, Nigeria requires additional crude supplies to meet domestic demand and expand petroleum product exports.

The Kazakh delegation also held talks with Nigeria’s Minister of Gas, Ekperikpe Ekpo, discussing potential collaboration in the natural gas sector, including supply agreements, gas processing technologies, and the involvement of Kazakh companies in developing Nigeria’s gas infrastructure. Minister Ekpo emphasized Nigeria’s commitment to transitioning to cleaner energy solutions, reducing carbon emissions, and building a sustainable economy.

During a meeting with Permanent Secretary of Nigeria’s Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Investment, Nura Abba Rimi, investment opportunities in the mining sector were reviewed, particularly in exploration and processing of mineral resources. The Kazakh delegation expressed interest in leveraging innovative processing technologies and establishing joint production facilities.

Additionally, Kazakhstan presented a list of over 300 product categories for export to Nigeria, while also expressing interest in direct imports of cocoa beans from Nigeria. Potential trade corridors for transporting goods between the two countries were discussed, with three possible routes currently under evaluation in cooperation with Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Transport.

The visit also included a meeting with the Managing Director of NEXIM Nigeria, the country’s leading export-import financing institution. The discussions concluded with an agreement to sign a Memorandum of Understanding between NEXIM Nigeria and Kazakhstan’s Export Credit Agency, paving the way for future financial cooperation.

 

Deputy Prime Minister - Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan Murat Nurtleu held a meeting with the Ambassador of the French Republic to Kazakhstan Sylvain Guiaugué, press service of the Kazakh MFA reports.

During the discussion, the current state and future prospects of Kazakh-French cooperation in political, trade, economic, cultural, and humanitarian spheres were discussed.

The parties assessed the progress made over the past year and highlighted the importance of implementing the agreements reached during the state visit of the President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to France in November 2024, as well as the outcomes of the two leaders’ participation in the One Water Summit in December 2024 in Riyadh (Saudi Arabia).

Moreover advancements in industrial development, energy, logistics, agriculture, healthcare, education, and culture within the framework of Kazakh-French cooperation were welcomed.

The parties also reviewed the schedule of upcoming mutual visits and bilateral events planned for 2025 and exchanged views on key regional and global security issues. They underscored the importance of strengthening cooperation between Kazakhstan and France through the EU, UN, and other international organizations.

At the conclusion of the meeting, both sides reaffirmed their commitment to further deepening the strategic partnership between Astana and Paris across all areas of mutual interest.

Kazakhstan is France’s primary trade, economic, and investment partner in Central Asia. In 2024, trade turnover between the two countries increased by 31%, reaching 5,5 billion US dollars. French investments in the Kazakh economy total nearly 20 billion US dollars, and more than 200 companies with French capital currently operate in Kazakhstan.

 

First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan Akan Rakhmetullin met with Ambassador of the Kingdom of Spain to the Republic of Kazakhstan Luis Francisco Martinez, press service of the Kazakh MFA reports.

During the conversation the parties discussed the state and prospects of strengthening bilateral cooperation in the political, trade, investment, and cultural spheres, as well as contacts in multilateral formats.

First Deputy Minister Rakhmetullin noted that Spain is a reliable strategic partner of Kazakhstan in the EU and expressed wishes for the fruitful results of the upcoming meetings of the Intergovernmental Commission and the Kazakhstan-Spain Business Council in March 2025 in Madrid.

The Spanish diplomat confirmed the intention to strengthen cooperation across the entire spectrum of bilateral relations.

 

Ambassador of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the Republic of Cyprus, Nikolay Zhumakanov, presented his credentials to the President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulidis, at an official ceremony held at the Presidential Palace in Nicosia, press service of the Kazakh MFA reports.

During the meeting, the President of Cyprus warmly welcomed the Ambassador and conveyed his best wishes to the President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, noting the dynamic development of bilateral relations. He emphasized that Kazakhstan is an important partner in the Central Asian region and expressed confidence in further deepening of cooperation.

The head of Cyprus paid special attention to the recent decision on the mutual opening of embassies in the capitals of the two countries, emphasizing that this step will be an important element in strengthening diplomatic ties, expanding political dialogue and economic interaction. President Christodoulidis expressed hope that the presence of diplomatic missions in both countries will create new opportunities for the realization of joint projects and promotion of the bilateral agenda.

Prospects for cooperation in trade, transport, digitalization and tourism were also discussed during the meeting. The President of Cyprus reaffirmed his country’s intention to actively cooperate with Kazakhstan not only in a bilateral format, but also within the framework of international and regional organizations.

In turn, the Ambassador of Kazakhstan thanked President Christodoulidis for the warm welcome and expressed confidence that his diplomatic mission will contribute to further strengthening of friendly relations. He assured that he would make every effort to promote mutually beneficial initiatives, attract investments and intensify bilateral dialogue.

At the end of the meeting, the parties confirmed their readiness to continue cooperation and expansion of partnership in the interests of the peoples of Kazakhstan and Cyprus.

 

A regular meeting of the Council of National Coordinators of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member states was held under the chairmanship of the Chinese side. The Kazakh delegation was headed by Murat Mukushev, National Coordinator of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Ambassador-at-Large of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, press service of the Kazakh MFA reports.

The participants discussed the implementation of the agreements of the Astana SCO Summit held in 2024. A thorough exchange of views was held on improving the Organization’s activities, as well as on the content of the upcoming high-level meetings in 2025, including preparations for the summit of heads of state in China.

Special attention was paid to various aspects of updating the legal framework. The national coordinators advocated a thorough elaboration of all the proposals put forward in order to transform the SCO into an effective and mobile multilateral structure.

The parties also discussed the issues of the SCO dialogue partnership and deepening the Organization’s international cooperation.

 

First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan Akan Rakhmetullin met with the newly appointed Director of the Executive Committee of the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Ularbek Sharsheyev, press service of the Kazakh MFA reports.

The sides exchanged views on the development of the situation in the sphere of ensuring security and stability in the region, and noted the importance of implementing the results of the Astana SCO Summit held on July 4, 2024.

Rakhmetullin highly appreciated the activities of RATS in coordinating joint efforts of the SCO member states in countering terrorism, extremism and separatism. He noted the advanced level of practical partnership of Kazakhstan with the Executive Committee and expressed his support for joint work, including in the issues of SCO development.

The interlocutors also discussed further prospects for the development of RATS activities aimed at strengthening regional security.

At the end of the meeting, Rakhmetullin congratulated Sharsheyev on his appointment and wished him successful work in this position.

For reference: The SCO RATS Executive Committee is a permanent SCO body functioning to facilitate, coordinate and cooperate between the competent authorities of the Organization’s member states in combating terrorism, separatism and extremism.

 

The city of Almaty hosted the opening of the First Global Youth Forum of UNESCO Clubs and Associations, bringing together over 150 participants from approximately 60 countries worldwide, press service of the Kazakh MFA reports.

The forum is organized by UNESCO and the World Federation of UNESCO Clubs and Associations (WFUCA), with support from the Kazakhstan National Federation of UNESCO Clubs, the National Commissions for UNESCO of Kazakhstan and France, as well as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Ministry of Culture and Information of the Republic of Kazakhstan, and the Akimat of Almaty.

Over the course of two days, delegates from UNESCO clubs and associations across all regions of the world, alongside representatives from governmental, academic, and business sectors, including UNESCO experts, will discuss key issues such as capacity building, youth empowerment, the ethics of artificial intelligence, the use of digital technologies, sustainable tourism, climate change, inclusion, and arts education.

The event will also welcome distinguished guests to Kazakhstan, including UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador Xueli Abbing, leading global AI expert Dr. Wayne Holmes, members of the Executive Council of the World Federation of UNESCO Clubs and Associations, and other notable figures.

A key outcome of the forum will be the adoption of the "Youth Roadmap of UNESCO Clubs and Associations for 2025-2030: Building a Sustainable Future Together." This document will outline strategic directions for the development of the movement, which is represented in 94 countries by over 5,000 organizations. It will also enhance youth opportunities and strengthen the network of UNESCO club leaders worldwide.