Astana and Prague to continue to strengthen cooperation
Deputy Foreign Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan Roman Vassilenko paid a working visit to Prague, during which he met with Jíři Kozák, the First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic, Kazinform News Agency cites the Kazakh Foreign Ministry's press service.
During the discussion, the parties discussed the current state and prospects of Kazakh-Czech relations in various fields, including political, trade, economic, cultural and humanitarian cooperation.
Special attention was paid to the development of political contacts and the preparation of the meeting of the Intergovernmental Commission on Economic, Industrial, Scientific and Technical Cooperation, which is scheduled to be held in the second half of 2024. The sides also exchanged views on regional and international issues of mutual interest and cooperation in the UN, OSCE and other international organizations.
The importance of strengthening the partnership between Kazakhstan and the European Union within the framework of the Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement between Kazakhstan and the EU was emphasized.
The parties noted that Astana and Prague had built mutually beneficial and friendly relations based on top-level contacts. The meetings of the heads of state and government confirm the desire to develop trusting and constructive relations.
The Kazakh side expressed particular interest in cooperation with Czech companies such as Škoda Transportation, Ferrit, Zetor, Sklostroj, Omnipol, Tatra, Primoco UAV SE and others. These companies have significant experience and reputation in international markets, and their technologies and products can be useful for various sectors of the economy of Kazakhstan.
Deputy Minister Vassilenko noted that special recognition deserves the initiative for the reintroduction of Przewalski's horses, which was implemented under the auspices of the Prague Zoo. Joint efforts led to the successful transportation and placement of the first group of 7 horses to Kazakhstan in June this year, which was an important step towards restoring the population of this unique species in our country.
"This project is a significant contribution to the conservation of one of the rarest species of wildlife. Przewalski's horses, which are a symbol of the steppes, are once again finding their place in the Kazakh steppes, thanks to which ecosystems are restored and biological diversity is preserved," the Kazakh diplomat stressed.
During his stay in Prague, Roman Vassilenko also took part in the international forum GLOBSEC-2024, which has been a platform for discussing strategic issues at the global level, as well as in Central and Eastern Europe, over the past 20 years.
On the sidelines of the forum, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan held bilateral meetings with colleagues from Great Britain, Norway, Slovenia and other countries.
For reference: According to the State Revenue Committee of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the volume of bilateral trade between Kazakhstan and the Czech Republic in 2023 amounted to 626.8 million US dollars (+ 48.4%) (exports – 147.7 million, an increase of 19.4%, imports – 479.1 million, an increase of 60.5%). In January-July 2024, mutual trade amounted to 275.3 million US dollars.
For the period from 2005 to December 31, 2023, the gross inflow of direct investments from the Czech Republic to Kazakhstan amounted to 329.6 million US dollars, including 22.3 million in 2021, 21.6 million in 2022, and 48 million US dollars in 2023. For the 1st quarter of 2024, this figure amounted to 13.8 million US dollars. There are about 150 legal entities with Czech capital operating in the Republic of Kazakhstan.
