Kazakhstan, UAE’s presidents discuss bilateral cooperation, sign 9 agreements

By Burc Eruygur

ISTANBUL (AA) - Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on Tuesday discussed bilateral cooperation with his UAE counterpart Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in the Emirati capital Abu Dhabi.

“The Emirates is our leading and reliable strategic partner in the Islamic and Arab world … The United Arab Emirates has made a significant contribution to the development and beautification of our capital. This is clear evidence of true friendship,” Tokayev said in the meeting, according to a statement by the Kazakh presidency.

According to the statement, Tokayev recalled that last year marked the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Kazakhstan and the UAE, and said that cooperation between the countries has significantly strengthened in various fields during this period.

“During the talks in an expanded format, priority areas of trade, economic and investment cooperation between Kazakhstan and the United Arab Emirates were discussed. In particular, the parties considered such promising areas as renewable energy, food security and agriculture, the mining and transport and logistics sectors, construction and development, and cooperation between international financial centers,” it said.

The statement added that both leaders signed nine agreements focusing on bilateral cooperation in fields such as industry and development, civil aviation, energy, healthcare, diplomatic training and culture.

On Monday, Tokayev arrived in Abu Dhabi and took part in the opening ceremony of the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week summit, taking place on Jan. 16-19.

On the same day, Tokayev discussed prospects for the implementation of investment projects in the field of transport and logistics with Abu Dhabi Ports Group CEO Mohamed Al-Shamisi.