Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin considers cooperation with Kazakhstan particularly important amid anti-Russian sanctions.
"We sincerely value our friendship, good-neighborly relations and alliance with Kazakhstan. This is especially important in the current difficult conditions caused by illegal unilateral sanctions of unfriendly states against Russia," the Russian prime minister said, referring to his Kazakh counterpart Alikhan Smailov at talks on Monday.
"Despite the sanctions war unleashed against us, we have ensured economic stability, a balanced ruble exchange rate, actively engaged in the creation of new production and logistics chains, forming appropriate conditions for the implementation of promising projects," Mishustin stressed.
He noted that Moscow considers the expansion of trade and economic cooperation with Kazakhstan as a priority task. According to the Russian prime minister, in 2021 "mutual trade turnover reached a record level and exceeded $25 billion, its volume increased by 12.5% in the first quarter of this year compared to the same period of 2021 and amounted to about $5 billion 800 million".
"We see good prospects for the implementation of import substitution programs in the industry, there are conditions for launching new strategic joint projects in industry, machine building, transport, energy and digital economy," emphasized Mishustin. According to him, "these topics are under the constant control of the intergovernmental commission on economic cooperation".
Contracts at Innoprom
Mishustin expects that many new contracts with Kazakhstan will be concluded at the Innoprom exhibition in July.
"We suggest more active development of interregional and investment cooperation," the head of the Russian cabinet addressed his colleague. According to the Russian prime minister, "Russian accumulated direct investment over the past 15 years amounted to about $17 billion, capital investment of Kazakh business in the Russian economy is increasing."
"Additional opportunities will be opened by the Innoprom exhibition to be held this July in Yekaterinburg," Mishustin noted. He added that Moscow is pleased that Kazakhstan is acting as a partner country in the exhibition this year. "Many new agreements, agreements and commercial contracts will be concluded at "Innoprom", which will ensure further increase of our mutual trade turnover," he stressed.
Mishustin suggested checking the progress of agreements reached during the negotiations between the heads of the states and "taking specific decisions concerning the governmental issues, which will help us to increase our cooperation to an even higher level and launch new joint investment projects."
Humanitarian ties
Mishustin assured that Moscow pays special attention to cooperation in education, science and culture. "A legal basis has been created for the successful work of branches of higher educational institutions in Russia and Kazakhstan," said the head of the Russian cabinet. He thanked Smailov and Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev "for their attentive attitude toward the Russian language, which has official status in Kazakhstan." "It is a key instrument of interstate and interethnic communication, it helps to strengthen multifaceted ties between Russia and Kazakhstan, between our partners," the Russian prime minister said.
GSV "Russia - Islamic world"
Photo: Federation Council
Based on materials from TASS