Turkish president arrives in Kazakhstan for talks, regional summit

By Diyar Guldogan

ANKARA (AA) - The president of Türkiye on Wednesday was welcomed with an official ceremony in the Kazakh capital Astana.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Kazakh counterpart Kassym-Jomart Tokayev are expected to hold one-on-one talks on bilateral relations and international issues.

The presidents will also co-chair the fourth meeting of the Türkiye-Kazakhstan High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council to enhance political, economic, cultural, and defense ties, followed by a joint news conference.

Türkiye was the first country to recognize Kazakhstan's independence in 1992.

While in Astana, Erdogan on Thursday will participate in a summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA).

The two-day event will address political, economic, humanitarian, and environmental issues, as well as new challenges and threats.

On the sidelines of the summit, Erdogan is expected to hold bilateral talks with participating leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Kazakh Foreign Ministry spokesman Aibek Smadiyarov said on Monday that 11 heads of state, including from Azerbaijan and Palestine, will be attending the summit.

Established in 1992, CICA is a multi-national Asia-focused forum with 27 member states and more than 10 other countries and inter-governmental organizations with observer status.