UPDATE - Turkish president arrives in Kazakhstan for talks, regional summit

ADDS REMARKS FROM TURKISH PRESIDENT, CHANGES SPOT

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 held one-on-one talks and inter-delegation meetings to discuss bilateral relations and international issues.

The presidents also co-chaired 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.

Ahead of the high-level meeting, Erdogan said regional and global developments require the Turkish world to stay in close coordination and strengthen solidarity.

"I attach great importance to the security, stability, territorial integrity, and prosperity of Kazakhstan," he added.

Erdogan also said Türkiye and Kazakhstan will sign six agreements to enhance the ties.

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.