South Africa is Interested in Trade and Economic Cooperation with Kazakhstan

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Roman Vassilenko met with Luis Francisco Martinez, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Spain to Kazakhstan, press service of the Kazakh MFA reports.

The two sides examined the current state and future prospects for strengthening bilateral cooperation in political, trade, economic, investment, and cultural-humanitarian spheres, as well as the schedule for upcoming visits.

Deputy Minister Vassilenko emphasized the importance of effectively implementing bilateral agreements, including those reached during the talks between the foreign ministers of both countries at the 79th session of the UN General Assembly currently taking place in New York.

Both sides noted the importance of promoting active cooperation in areas such as energy, civil aviation, tourism, education, trade and investment.

The successful experience of such companies as Inditex, Maxam, Glovo and Talgo in Kazakhstan was emphasized. The officials expressed high expectations from the upcoming joint venture by Tecnicas Reunidas (Spain) and Sinopec (China) of a project to construct an integrated gas chemical complex for the production of polyethylene in the Atyrau region commissioned by JSC NC KazMunayGas.

 

On the sidelines of the 79th session of the UN General Assembly, a bilateral meeting took place between Deputy Prime Minister - Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan Murat Nurtleu and Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates of the Kingdom of Morocco Nasser Bourita, press service of the Kazakh MFA reports.

The ministers discussed the current state and prospects of bilateral relations in the political, trade, economic, investment, and cultural-humanitarian spheres.

Following the negotiations, the parties signed the Agreement on Visa Exemption for Holders of National/Ordinary Passports between the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Government of the Kingdom of Morocco. This Agreement aims to facilitate the movement of citizens of both countries and contributes to further strengthening bilateral relations between the two nations.

According to the Agreement, citizens of Kazakhstan and Morocco are exempted from visa requirements for entry, exit, transit, and temporary stay in each other’s territories based on valid national/ordinary passports. The duration of each stay must not exceed 30 calendar days within a 180-day period from the date of entry.

At the same time, citizens of either party who intend to stay in the territory of the other party for longer than provided by the Agreement, or engage in employment, education, or entrepreneurial activities, must obtain the appropriate visa from the diplomatic missions or consular offices of the host country.

The Agreement shall enter into force after 30 calendar days from the date of receiving the last written notification through the diplomatic channels confirming the completion by the parties of the internal procedures necessary for its entry into force.

 

As part of the UN General Assembly’s high-level week, the delegation of Kazakhstan participated in the ratification ceremony of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW). Kazakhstan, as the incoming Chair of the Third Meeting of the States Parties to the TPNW, demonstrates its continued commitment to global nuclear disarmament. During the ceremony, the ministers of foreign affairs of Indonesia, Sierra Leone and the Solomon Islands handed over their instruments of ratification, reaffirming their countries’ commitment to the objectives and principles of the Treaty. This brings the total number of signatories to 94, and the number of countries that have ratified the Treaty to 73, press service of the Kazakh MFA reports.

During the event, the Kazakh side emphasized the importance of collective efforts of all stakeholders in advancing the goals of the Treaty and expressed confidence in the need to strengthen global norms against the use and proliferation of nuclear weapons. "Each new ratification of the TPNW brings us closer to our common goal and is a powerful signal that the international community is united in its aspiration to eliminate the nuclear threat," the Kazakh delegation said, calling on all states to join this aspiration and contribute to building a world free of nuclear weapons.

Expressing gratitude to the Co-Chairs of the Informal Working Group on the Universalization of the TPNW - the permanent representatives to the UN of Uruguay and South Africa, the delegation of Kazakhstan stressed the important role of the UN High Representative for Disarmament Affairs Izumi Nakamitsu and noted the contribution of public organizations, in particular the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) and the Red Cross, for their tireless efforts to promote the goals of the Treaty.

 

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan hosted an international forum on "The Rights of People with Disabilities in Emergencies and Climate Change in Kazakhstan", press service of the Kazakh MFA reports.

The event was organised by the Association of Women with Disabilities "Shyrak" together with the Foreign Ministry of Kazakhstan and the Eurasia Foundation under the financial support of USAID.

The forum was addressed by Senator of Parliament Lyazzat Kaltayeva, Ombudsman for Rights of Socially Vulnerable Groups of Population Kenzhegul Seitzhan, Vice Minister of Labor and Social Protection of Population Askarbek Yertayev, Ambassador-at-Large Alua Nadirkulova, advisors of ministers and akims on disability issues, representatives of governmental organizations, international organizations, as well as public associations from Central Asia.

During the event, participants discussed the rights and needs of people with disabilities in emergencies caused by climate change, and shared experience and best practices in emergency response to the needs of people with disabilities.

The outcome of the event was the development of specific recommendations for the state authorities of Kazakhstan to improve legislation and policy in this field.

 

On the margins of the 79th session of the UN General Assembly, Deputy Prime Minister - Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan Murat Nurtleu held a meeting with the High Representative of the UN Alliance of Civilizations, Miguel Angel Moratinos, press service of the Kazakh MFA reports.

The interlocutors discussed further prospects for cooperation, particularly in the context of coordinating efforts to strengthen interreligious harmony and global dialogue of civilizations.

The Foreign Minister of Kazakhstan highly appreciated the personal contribution of Moratinos to the strengthening of intercivilizational dialogue. He emphasized that the mission of the Alliance to build bridges between different religions and cultures is in harmony with the main goals and objectives of the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions.

The parties agreed to continue cooperation, including joint work with youth and young leaders of civil society in Central Asia.

Minister Nurtleu also met with the heads of foreign ministries of India Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Cambodia - Sok Chenda Sophea, Cyprus - Constantinos Kombos, Rwanda - Olivier Nduhungirehe and Finland - Elina Valtonen.

During the meetings, the parties discussed priority issues of the bilateral agenda, including further expansion of political, trade, economic and cultural-humanitarian cooperation.

An intergovernmental agreement on exemption from visa requirements for holders of diplomatic and service passports was signed with the Rwandan Foreign Minister.

At the meeting with the vice-president of the global investment company Cerberus of the USA, Brian Hook, the issues of realization of joint projects in different branches of economy were considered. The company is engaged in investments in financial services, healthcare, retail trade, public services, etc.

 

On the margins of the 79th session of the UN General Assembly, an informal meeting of foreign ministers of the member states of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) was held under the chairmanship of Deputy Prime Minister - Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Murat Nurtleu, press service of the Kazakh MFA reports.

Opening the meeting, the head of the Kazakh Foreign Ministry underlined the symbolism of the meeting, which is held on the eve of the 15-year anniversary of the establishment of the OTS.

Мinister Nurtleu emphasized the significant results achieved during this period, recalling the important role played by Turkic integration today in the international arena.

He also noted that Kazakhstan as chairman of the OTS in 2023-2024 under the "TURKTIME" motto has successfully held more than 80 events, including the 5th World Nomad Games.

During the meeting, the participants discussed topical issues of interaction within the OTS, as well as preparations for the 11th Summit of the Organization, scheduled in Bishkek in November 2024. At the same time, special attention was paid to the issues of strengthening cooperation of the OTS with international organizations, such as the UN and the OIC.

In conclusion, the participants of the meeting confirmed their readiness to deepen cooperation within the OTS, emphasizing the importance of joint efforts to achieve a common goal - strengthening the unity and solidarity of the Turkic countries.

 

The high-level week of the 79th session of the UN General Assembly has started at the UN Headquarters. The delegation of the Republic of Kazakhstan headed by Deputy Prime Minister - Minister of Foreign Affairs Murat Nurtleu takes part in the session, press service of the Kazakh MFA reports.

On the margins of the event, the Kazakh Foreign Minister held bilateral meetings with Foreign Ministers of Spain José Albares, Latvia Baiba Braže, Luxembourg Xavier Bettel, Poland Radosław Sikorski, and Switzerland Ignazio Cassis.

During the talks with European partners, the prospects for the development of cooperation between Kazakhstan and these European countries were discussed, and an in-depth exchange of views on regional and global agendas took place.

Following the negotiations, a number of agreements were reached on the organization of mutual high-level visits.

Minister Nurtleu also met with Deputy Prime Minister - Minister of Foreign Affairs of Moldova Mihai Popșoi and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Andrii Sybiha. The parties considered issues of cooperation in bilateral and multilateral formats.

The importance of quality and timely fulfillment of instructions on the results of the state visit of the President of Kazakhstan to Singapore in May this year was noted during the talks with Minister for Foreign Affairs of Singapore Vivian Balakrishnan.

During the meeting with Bahrain’s Foreign Minister Abdullatif Alzayani, an Intergovernmental Agreement on Exemption from Visa Requirements for Holders of Diplomatic Passports was signed. Foreign Minister of Bahrain expressed his appreciation to the Kazakh side for the opening of the Consulate General in Manama, emphasizing that this step will qualitatively strengthen relations between the countries.

Prospects for further strengthening cooperation with the International Labor Organization were discussed with its Director-General Gilbert Houngbo, where the interlocutors reaffirmed the importance of improving labor legislation, social protection and ensuring decent work.

 

Deputy Prime Minister - Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan Murat Nurtleu held a number of meetings with representatives of leading American companies to discuss the development of further long-term and mutually beneficial partnerships, press service of the Kazakh MFA reports.

During discussions with the leadership of PepsiCo, special attention was given to the development of the food industry and enhancing the country’s export potential, which will help increase the competitiveness of Kazakhstan products in the international market.

The meeting with Google focused on expanding collaboration within the "Google for Startups" program. In the context of integrating artificial intelligence and cloud technologies, both parties agreed to continue joint efforts to promote local startups in global markets and to develop digital infrastructure and an innovation ecosystem in Kazakhstan.

As part of the "Digital Country Partnership" (DCP) program, implemented in collaboration with Mastercard, the Minister emphasized the importance of joint achievements in developing financial infrastructure and implementing fintech solutions to strengthen Kazakhstan’s leadership in the development of a digital, cashless economy.

During the meeting with Citi, the participants reviewed the successful 30-year partnership and discussed issues of sustainable financing, improving trade relations, and developing infrastructure projects. The Foreign Minister expressed his appreciation for the company’s contribution to the country’s economic development and highlighted the importance of continued cooperation in attracting foreign investments.

Continuing discussions with leaders in the financial sector, Minister Nurtleu and representatives of Visa discussed initiatives to expand access to financial services and improve digital services in rural areas, aimed at enhancing financial inclusion and regional development in Kazakhstan.