Kazakhstan continues negotiations on the establishment of a free trade zone with the Arab Republic of Egypt

First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan Akan Rakhmetullin received the United Nations Resident Coordinator in the Republic of Kazakhstan Michaela Friberg-Story on the occasion of the completion of her mission, press service of the Kazakh MFA reports.

Summing up the results of Friberg-Story’s activities as the UN Resident Coordinator in Kazakhstan, First Deputy Minister Rakhmetullin noted the successful and active work of the UN country team. He stressed that thanks to the joint efforts of the Office of the Resident Coordinator and the UN country team, a number of projects and programs of country and regional scale were successfully implemented in Kazakhstan aimed further enhancing of socio-economic development of the country and achieving the Sustainable Development Agenda by 2030. The parties also discussed the priorities of further cooperation between Kazakhstan and the universal organization.

Friberg-Story, expressing gratitude to the Government of Kazakhstan for the comprehensive support of the activities of her office and the UN country team in Kazakhstan, assured that the UN country team will continue to actively work on the implementation of programs, projects and commitments in accordance with the priorities of Kazakhstan and the UN.

At the end of the meeting, Rakhmetullin, thanking the UN representative for productive interaction and an important contribution to strengthening ties between Kazakhstan and the UN, wished her success in further endeavors in the system of the global organization.

The Resident Coordinator (RC) is the highest-ranking representative of the UN development system at the country level and is the designated representative of - and reports to the UN Secretary-General. (S)he is responsible for the coordination of operational activities for development of the UN in support of countries’ efforts towards implementation of the 2030 Agenda; they lead and supports the UNCT in the development, monitoring and reporting of the UN Cooperation Frameworks. Michaela Friberg-Story has been the UN Resident Coordinator in Kazakhstan since 2020.

 

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Roman Vassilenko held a meeting with the European Union Special Representative on Central Asia Terhi Hakala who participated in the 5th World Nomad Games as an honorary guest, press service of the Kazakh MFA reports.

During the conversation, they discussed matters related to further strengthening of the bilateral cooperation, including through the implementation of the Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement between Kazakhstan and the European Union.

Deputy Minister Vassilenko brought to the attention of the EU Special Representative the importance of the earliest start of negotiations between Brussels and Astana on Visa Facilitation Agreement.

Moreover, the interlocutors discussed plans for the upcoming period and preparations for bilateral and multilateral events. The parties highlighted the importance of deepening regional cooperation in areas such as transportation and logistics, specifically the development of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, environmental protection, and other fields.

Terhi Hakala expressed gratitude to Kazakhstan for the invitation to the World Nomad Games, noting the grand opening ceremony and the high quality of the sports events, where she was able to experience the "spirit of the nomads."

The parties agreed to continue their active dialogue aimed at implementing joint projects and events across the entire spectrum of Kazakh-European relations.

 

First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan Akan Rakhmetullin received newly appointed Ambassador of Estonia to Kazakhstan Jaap Ora, press service of the Kazakh MFA reports.

The parties discussed a number of issues of bilateral cooperation and interaction within UN, focusing on major international topics.

Following the meeting, the diplomats confirmed their readiness to further strengthen cooperation between the two countries.

 

Deputy Foreign Minister of Kazakhstan Roman Vassilenko held meetings with the Ambassadors of Czechia and Estonia, press service of the Kazakh MFA reports.

With Ambassador of Czechia Pavol Šepeľák the full range of issues related to further strengthening the traditionally friendly relations between Kazakhstan and Czechia was thoroughly discussed.

The parties expressed a firm commitment to expanding mutually beneficial cooperation in the political, trade-economic, and cultural-humanitarian spheres.

Regarding the tasks of expanding trade-economic and investment partnerships, the parties emphasized the need to use all available mechanisms, including the Intergovernmental Commission on Economic, Industrial, and Scientific-Technical Cooperation.

The parties agreed to continue the dialogue in line with the commitments made during the official visit of Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala to Kazakhstan in April 2023, as well as during the meeting between Deputy Prime Minister - Minister of Foreign Affairs Murat Nurtleu and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Czechia Jan Lipavsky on the sidelines of UN General Assembly in September 2023.

Deputy Minister Vassilenko expressed interest in enhancing cooperation with Czech companies that are successful in fields such as energy, transportation, mechanical engineering and agriculture.

Welcoming the newly appointed Ambassador of Estonia to Kazakhstan Jaap Ora, the Deputy Minister noted with satisfaction the state of Kazakh-Estonian relations, which are developing in the spirit of friendship and trusting dialogue.

The parties drew attention to the significant potential for expanding trade and economic cooperation, especially in the areas of green energy and technology, ecology, education and innovation.

Furthermore, the parties expressed their readiness to continue close cooperation in bilateral and multilateral formats, and also discussed the schedule of upcoming events, including the preparation of visits at the highest and high levels.

The Ambassador of Estonia expressed gratitude for the warm welcome and affirmed his commitment to making every effort to strengthen cooperation between the two countries.

Roman Vassilenko wished him high achievements in his new diplomatic position.

The volume of mutual trade between Kazakhstan and the Czech Republic in 2023 increased by 48% and amounted to 627 million US dollars (exports of Kazakhstan - 147.7 million, imports of Kazakhstan - 479.3 million). For January-July 2024, trade turnover amounted to 317.3 million US dollars.

Trade turnover between Kazakhstan and Estonia in 2023 increased by 29% and amounted to 157.5 million US dollars (exports of Kazakhstan - 78.1 million, imports of Kazakhstan - 79.4 million). For January-July 2024, mutual trade amounted to 50.3 million US dollars.

 

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan Alibek Kuantyrov took part in the international forum "Yerevan Dialogue 2024", which was held for the first time in the capital of Armenia. This forum claims to become a permanent platform attracting politicians and experts to discuss current international issues, primarily in relation to the development prospects of the South Caucasus region against the backdrop of global processes, press service of the Kazakh MFA reports.

During his speech at the panel session "Geopolitics of Connectivity: from Competition to Cooperation", Alibek Kuantyrov noted that landlocked countries should work together to effectively ensure connectivity. At the same time, cooperation development is required not only between bordering states, but also between geographically distant partners, such as the Central Asian countries and Armenia. In this context, the Kazakh speaker drew attention to the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, which, linking China and the European Union with a trade chain, is simultaneously supported by China’s "Belt and Road" initiative and the European "Global Gateway" program.

Kuantyrov cited the relevant indicators of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, noting that the volume of cargo transportation along it increased by 1.6 times, and in the seven months of 2024, 2.6 million tons of cargo were transported along the route, which is almost 1 million tons or 63% more than in the same period of 2023. In turn, in 2023, 2.8 million tons of cargo were transported along this transport corridor. This is more than 1 million tons or 65% more than a year earlier. At the same time, he recalled that Kazakhstan is also participating in the development of the North-South corridor.

According to the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan, Armenia, on the basis of its the "Crossroads of Peace" initiative, could also connect to the Trans-Caspian route and receive a wide range of benefits from this in the field of infrastructure, investment, trade, etc. He stressed that, of course, this requires resolving the problems that exist today, including mutual agreements on unblocking all communications and routes and establishing lasting peace.

The Deputy Head of the Kazakh Foreign Ministry noted the positive dynamics of business contacts between Kazakhstan and Armenia in the field of connectivity and logistics. He mentioned the recent visit of a representative Armenian business mission to the International Center for Cross-Border Cooperation "Khorgos" and the special economic zone "Khorgos-Eastern Gate", which is the gateway of Chinese goods to Europe. Armenian entrepreneurs have expressed interest in developing cooperation in the field of infrastructure and logistics. The Kazakh diplomat said that Armenian business is actively carrying out transit cargo transportation between our countries, developing a route through Iran and Turkmenistan.

Kuantyrov also stressed Kazakhstan’s contribution to the promotion of the Armenian-Azerbaijani settlement process, which, at the initiative of the President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, provided a negotiating platform in Almaty on the terms of "good offices" for a meeting of the foreign ministers of the two South Caucasian republics. He stressed that Kazakhstan looks forward to the prospects of establishing sustainable peace between them as soon as possible, since the state of the economy, trade, social situation, etc. is largely related to this.

He noted the positive role of the Armenian diaspora of Kazakhstan in the development of relations between Kazakhstan and Armenia.

On the sidelines of the forum, Deputy Minister Kuantyrov also held bilateral meetings with Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary Péter Szijjártó, First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia Lasha Darsalia, State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia Nikola Stojanović, as well as with the Head of Europe and Eurasia at the World Economic Forum Andrew Caruana Galizia.

In addition, bilateral talks were held with Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia Mnatsakan Safaryan. The parties discussed current issues on the bilateral and multilateral agenda, cooperation in the trade, economic, cultural and humanitarian spheres. They specifically focused on the implementation of agreements following the official visit of the President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to Armenia in April of this year. The interlocutors agreed on schedules for further visits at the highest and high levels.

 

A regular meeting of the Consultative and Advisory Body on the Human Dimension Dialogue Platform was held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan under the chairmanship of the Ambassador-at-Large Alua Nadirkulova, press service of the Kazakh MFA reports.

During the meeting, issues concerning the implementation of the recommendations of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, the role of youth volunteer activities in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, and the strengthening of corporate responsibility of businesses in respecting human rights were discussed.

The event was attended by the Deputy Chairman of the Commission on Human Rights under the President of Kazakhstan, deputies of the Mazhilis of Parliament, representatives of the National Center for Human Rights, relevant ministries, Kazakhstani human rights NGOs, as well as representatives of the United Nations Development Program.

In her welcoming speech, Alua Nadirkulova highlighted Kazakhstan’s active efforts in implementing the UN recommendations in the field of child protection and social policy. In addition, it was noted that in his annual State-of-the-Nation Address on September 2, 2024, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev placed special emphasis on the social protection of children.

It was also mentioned that last year the Government of Kazakhstan adopted a Comprehensive Plan for the Protection of Children from Violence, Suicide Prevention, and Ensuring their Rights and Well-being for 2023-2025, which includes targeted practical measures.

The report underscored the importance of volunteerism and corporate social responsibility of businesses, including the implementation of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and the development of a National Action Plan in this area.

During the meeting, Vice Minister of Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Edil Ospan presented key measures to implement the recommendations of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child. Among the initiatives noted were the introduction of a mentoring institute to support orphaned children, tougher responsibility for violence against children and the consolidation of the status of regional Commissioners for children’s rights.

In the speech of Magripa Embergenova, Director of the Department of Maternal and Child Health of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Kazakhstan, key measures to protect children’s rights to health protection in Kazakhstan were noted. Among the achievements in this direction were the significant development of neonatal and fetal surgery, the creation of 16 early intervention centers for children under 3 years old, as well as the approval of standards for prenatal screening and the provision of oncological and hematological care to children.

During the discussion, Deputy Chairman of the Administrative Police Committee of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan Renat Zulkhairov stated that this year, within the framework of the newly adopted Law, the possibility of reconciliation for crimes related to violence against minors is excluded, only life imprisonment is now provided for rape of a minor.

At the meeting, Dinara Yessimova, Head of the Republican public association "National Alliance of Professional Social Workers," presented a report in which she proposed strengthening the training of social workers, introducing inclusion standards, and developing new approaches to address the problems of child marginalization and inequality. She emphasized the need to avoid superficial solutions and to reinforce long-term support for children.

Elvira Vatlina, an expert from the Kazakhstan International Bureau for Human Rights and Rule of Law, emphasized the need to establish a transparent budgetary process with clear allocations for children and to align the institution of the Ombudsperson for Children’s Rights fully with the Paris Principles.

As part of the second agenda item on the role of volunteerism, the Republican Student Ombudsman, Ulan Nauken, informed the participants about the significant role of the student volunteer movement in achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals. He noted that during this time, volunteers have focused particular attention on supporting students with special needs and promoting gender equality through various projects and campaigns.

As part of the third agenda item on strengthening corporate responsibility in human rights compliance, UNDP representative Gulmira Tulesbayeva emphasized the importance of developing tools to promote human rights standards in corporate practice, based on the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.

Overall, the discussion of the agenda was open and constructive. Representatives of government bodies and NGOs discussed key issues and human rights advocates provided practical recommendations for systemic improvements in the work of the involved agencies and government bodies.

The "Dialogue Platform on the Human Dimension" was established in 2013 at the initiative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan. The platform serves as an effective tool for facilitating dialogue between the Government and civil society. Various pressing human rights issues are discussed on the platform, with the participation of international organizations such as UNDP, OHCHR, OSCE, etc. as observers.

 

Deputy Foreign Minister of Kazakhstan Roman Vassilenko met with Ambassador of the Republic of North Macedonia Sali Limani, press service of the Kazakh MFA reports.

The Kazakh diplomat congratulated his counterpart on North Macedonia’s Independence Day (celebrated on 8 September) and conveyed congratulations to the country’s leadership on behalf of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Chairman of the Senate Maulen Ashimbayev and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Murat Nurtleu. In his message to the President of North Macedonia, Gordana Siljanovska Davkova, President Tokayev said: "North Macedonia has made significant progress in strengthening its statehood and improving the well-being of its citizens. I wish the friendly people of North Macedonia continued prosperity and success".

During the discussion, both sides reviewed the current state and future prospects of the mutually beneficial bilateral partnership in key areas of cooperation. The significant potential for expanding economic cooperation, including trade and investment, was highlighted. Both parties expressed confidence that the newly established Embassy of Kazakhstan in North Macedonia and the upcoming political consultations between the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, as well as the second meeting of the Intergovernmental Commission on Economic Cooperation scheduled for next year, will contribute to deepening and strengthening bilateral relations.

As a result of the meeting, both sides agreed to maintain a regular and constructive exchange of views in order to further support and develop cooperation between Kazakhstan and North Macedonia.

 

Ambassador of Kazakhstan to United Arab Emirates Najmedin Mukhametaliuly met with the Speaker of the Federal National Council of the UAE Saqr Ghobash, press service of the Kazakh MFA reports.

During the meeting, issues of bilateral cooperation, including interparliamentary relations between the countries, were discussed.

The Kazakh diplomat noted the role of interaction between friendship groups and relevant committees, as well as the exchange of visits by the chairpersons of parliaments as an important incentive to strengthen these ties. In addition, attention was paid to the topic of ongoing political and socio-economic reforms under the leadership of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev in Kazakhstan.

In turn, Saqr Ghobash confirmed his openness to international cooperation, including close cooperation with the Parliament of Kazakhstan through the exchange of experience and mutual visits.

As a result of the meeting, the parties agreed to further develop their cooperation and continue close interaction.