President of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, held negotiations with the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, during his state visit to Qatar, the press service of the President of Kazakhstan reports.
Tokayev referred to Qatar as an important and reliable partner for Kazakhstan in the Islamic world and expressed the opinion that "it is time to give a new impetus to bilateral relations."
"I propose to elevate the interaction between Kazakhstan and Qatar to the level of a full-fledged strategic partnership. During my visit, important documents will be signed, giving our cooperation a strategic character. We are ready to make every effort to further strengthen bilateral ties," Tokayev said in a meeting with Sheikh Al Thani.
The Emir of Qatar, in turn, is also confident in the further development of relations between the two countries.
"Today's negotiations will allow us to monitor the implementation of agreements reached during previous talks and outline plans for the future. In the framework of our interaction, we are interested in implementing energy, trade, economic, and investment projects," he said.
Tokayev believes that in the
near future, Qatar will become one of the top ten largest investors in Kazakhstan. He highlighted the readiness to increase non-commodity exports to Qatar by $250 million across 60 product categories. He also proposed to boost mutual trade to $500 million in the near future.
During the negotiations, issues related to agriculture, transportation, logistics, tourism, and the strengthening of cultural and humanitarian ties were discussed. Tokayev urged the leadership of Qatar to jointly develop an intermodal transport network connecting the Gulf and Central Asia, expand cooperation in the agricultural sector, and organize Kazakhstan-Qatar Culture Days in the capitals of both countries in 2025.
Following the negotiations, nine documents were signed, including agreements on extradition and mutual legal assistance in criminal matters, a government agreement on the regulation of the employment of Kazakhstani workers in the State of Qatar, a memorandum of cooperation in the field of social protection and development, and agreements on the implementation of energy and gas projects, as well as joint projects in the construction of gas processing plants at the Kashagan field.
CentralasianLIGHT.org
February 14, 2024