New opportunities for mutually beneficial cooperation between Kazakhstan and Türkiye were discussed by the heads of foreign offices
Deputy Prime Minister – Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan Murat Nurtleu held negotiations with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Türkiye Hakan Fidan, who arrived in Astana with an official visit.
Minister Nurtleu, welcoming Turkish colleague in the historical homeland, congratulated him on his recent appointment as the Foreign Minister of Türkiye. The Kazakh Minister also extended his congratulations on the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Republic of Türkiye and the 500th anniversary of Turkish diplomacy, as well as expressed his well wishes for the continued development and prosperity of the brotherly people of Türkiye.
During the meeting, the parties discussed ways to deepen strategic ties between the two countries in various spheres, including politics, trade, economy, investment, transport, logistics, culture, and humanitarianism.
In addition, foreign ministers exchanged views on current issues of international and regional agenda and agreed to continue coordinating joint efforts within international and interregional organizations such as the United Nations, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the Organization of Turkic States (OTS), and others.
“Türkiye is Kazakhstan’s closest partner, and our peoples share deep-rooted historical ties. In recent years, there have been positive dynamics in bilateral relations, which culminated in an expanded strategic partnership after the state visit of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, to Türkiye in May 2022. The successful 4th meeting of the High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council took place during President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's reciprocal state visit to Kazakhstan in October of last year,” noted Murat Nurtleu.
Diplomats of the two countries paid special attention to investment-related issues, which have seen a steady increase in volume over the years. To put things into perspective, Türkiye has invested a total of 4.7 billion US dollars in Kazakhstan over the past 13 years, while the Kazakh side has invested over 1.2 billion US dollars in the Turkish economy.
Kazakh Foreign Minister has stated that Kazakhstan has provided favorable conditions for Turkish entrepreneurs to do business in the country. Currently, over 4,000 companies with Turkish capital are operating successfully in Kazakhstan. It's worth noting that Turkish contractors played a significant role in building most of the buildings in the capital, earning a profit of over 27 billion US dollars.
At the meeting, the parties emphasized the importance of utilizing the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, also known as the Middle Corridor, which passes through Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Türkiye on its way to European countries.
The aviation cooperation between the two countries has been greatly appreciated. Last year, the number of flights doubled, from 40 to more than 90 flights. Parties have noted that expanding the geography of flights will help further develop trade, economic, business, investment, and tourism cooperation between the two countries.
“At the end of 2022, mutual trade between our countries reached a record figure of 6.3 billion US dollars thanks to the comprehensive measures taken by our governments and the efforts of our entrepreneurs. Türkiye has become our country's 4th largest trading partner following Russia, China and Italy,” emphasized Minister Nurtleu.
The parties also highlighted the cultural and humanitarian cooperation within the framework of Turkic integration, which has become a significant area of multilateral diplomacy in Kazakhstan.
The Turkish side has been invited to the 10th anniversary Summit of the Organization of Turkic States, which will take place in Astana this November. The summit is expected to give new impetus to the development of the Turkic world.
The visit of Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan to Kazakhstan was a significant move in strengthening the long-standing partnership between the two countries. It is expected to open up new opportunities for mutually beneficial cooperation in the spirit of brotherhood and Turkic solidarity.
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