Russian President Vladimir Putin will hold talks on Monday with Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, who arrived in Moscow on Sunday at the invitation of the Russian head of state. This is the first visit by the Kazakh leader since his re-election to the country's main post.
As the Kremlin's press service noted, the meeting is "planned to discuss the further development of Russia-Kazakhstan relations of strategic partnership and alliance, as well as the prospects for cooperation within the framework of integration associations in the Eurasian space." "It will be a full-format, very, very important visit for us and for bilateral Russia-Kazakhstan relations," said press secretary of the Russian leader Dmitry Peskov.
According to the Kremlin spokesman, following the protocol part of the negotiations, the heads of states will have a working breakfast. They plan to sign documents afterwards, including a Declaration between the Russian Federation and Kazakhstan on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations.
Interregional forum
Another issue on the agenda will be participation in the XVIII Forum of interregional cooperation between Russia and Kazakhstan, which Putin and Tokayev will attend on Monday. The forum will be held in Orenburg, and the heads of state will address the participants via video link from Moscow.
Deputy Prime Minister - Minister of Trade and Integration of Kazakhstan Serik Zhumangarin said earlier that a large delegation from the republic including businessmen will visit the forum. According to his words, the sides, in particular, plan to discuss the cost of transit of Russian grain through the territory of Kazakhstan.
As it was previously reported, lifting of infrastructural restrictions in trade, transport and logistics potential of the two countries, cooperation in an era of sanctions, digitalization of urban infrastructure, youth entrepreneurship will be among the topics of the forum.
Since 2003, the Forum of interregional cooperation between Kazakhstan and Russia was alternately held in Russian and Kazakh cities: Chelyabinsk, Uralsk, Novosibirsk, Aktobe, Orenburg, Ust-Kamenogorsk, Astrakhan, Pavlodar, Ekaterinburg, Atyrau, Sochi, Astana, Petropavlovsk and Omsk. This tradition appeared after meeting of the first president of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev and the Russian leader Vladimir Putin in Omsk in 2003.
The previous forum of interregional cooperation was held on September 28-30, 2021, in online format and following its results Russia and Kazakhstan signed 13 documents.
Tokayev's first visit
On November 20, a special presidential election was held in Kazakhstan. Tokayev, who has held the country's top post since mid-2019, won with 81.31 percent of the vote. He took office on November 26. Tokayev's term of office will be seven years, after which he will no longer be able to be elected as head of state.
At the inauguration, speaking about what is happening in the world, Tokayev stressed that Astana will continue to implement a balanced and constructive foreign policy aimed at protecting national interests. Priority will be given to mutually beneficial cooperation and strategic partnership with neighboring states - Russia, China and Central Asian countries, with partners in integration associations. In addition, he assured that the authorities will make every effort to develop multifaceted cooperation with the United States, the EU, the states of Asia, the Middle East and Transcaucasia, as well as with all interested countries.
After the elections, on November 23, Tokayev made a working visit to Yerevan, where he took part in a meeting of the Collective Security Council of the Collective Security Treaty Organization.
On November 29-30, the president of Kazakhstan will pay an official visit to France. In Paris, he plans to hold talks with French President Emmanuel Macron, during which he will discuss prospects for developing a strategic partnership in the trade, economic, investment and humanitarian spheres.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: official website of the President of the Russian Federation
Based on materials from TASS