Jordanian-Kazakh committee to convene in Amman today

AMMAN. January 29. KAZINFORM The joint Jordanian-Kazakh inter-governmental committee will convene in Amman today with the aim of signing several major agreements in different fields, according to the Kazakhstan?s ambassador to the Kingdom.

Ambassador Bulat Sarsenbayev told The Jordan Times that the Kazakh delegation will include 10 government officials headed by Agriculture Minister Kurishbayev Akhylbek. This is the committee?s third meeting and it is expected to improve cooperation in the fields of agriculture, tourism, investment, education and science, health, customs and energy. Noting that the trade volume between the two countries has risen from $13.5 million in 2007 to $39.1 million at the end of last September, the envoy described the amount as ?promising? for more trade cooperation. ?The main obstacle for trade growth between Jordan and Kazakhstan is the transportation cost as Kazakhstan has no seaports,? he stated, expecting higher trade exchange due to the two countries? determination to expand business relations. He mentioned that a custom union agreement, in its final stage with Russia and Belarussia, will reduce transportation cost. Sarsenbayev stressed that the meetings seek also to encourage investment projects between both countries. ?There are some Jordanian companies already investing in Kazakhstan and pharmaceutical companies have registered their products there,? he said. According to the ambassador, the Jordanian government is interested in agricultural investments in Kazakhstan but the issue is still under discussion because Kazakh farming belongs to the private sector. ?The Jordanian government should negotiate with the private sector and the Kazakh authorities will surely assist in this regard,? the ambassador added. Sarsenbayev indicated that tourism between the two countries is growing, particularly from Kazakhstan to the Kingdom. Jordan has facilitated visa issuance to Kazakh citizens as they can obtain visas at the airport, a measure described by the envoy as ?a good step?. Journalists from the former Soviet Republic will accompany the delegation to tour Jordan and highlight historical and religious sites to the Kazakh people. In October 2008, Jordanian cultural days were held in the Kazakh capital of Astana and Amman will soon host Kazakh cultural days. Diplomatic relations between the two countries were established in 1993 while real cooperation started when the Jordanian embassy opened in Astana in April 2007 and the Kazakh embassy opened in Amman in July same year, said Sarsenbayev. Bilateral relations were given impetus by His Majesty King Abdullah?s visit to Astana in August 2007, which was preceded by Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev?s visit to Amman in November 2006. Kazakhstan gained its independence when the Soviet Union was dissolved in 1991.The country managed to overcome turbulent years of depression and inflation with its recent economic gains and massive oil-related foreign exchange inflow. The ninth largest country in the world also has a wealth of natural resources including petroleum, natural gas, gold and coal. It was included among the list of 20 countries that are the most attractive for foreign investments in the world by the World Bank, Kazinform refers to The Jordan Times.