Kazakh-Indian Intergovernmental Commission holds 7th session in Astana

ASTANA. March 13. KAZINFORM /Muratbek Makulbekov/ The 7th session of Kazakh-Indian Intergovernmental Commission for trade, economic, scientific, technical, industrial and cultural cooperation was held in ?Rixos? Hotel; Kazinform reports.

The Kazakh party to the Commission was headed by Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Sauat Mynbayev. Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas of India Murli Deora was heading Indian party. During the meeting the delegates talked about the performance of the mutual arrangements made at the sixth session of the Commission in New Delhi in October, 2006. Both parties emphasized that the visit of Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev to India in January, 2009 was a stimulus to bring the relations between Kazakhstan and India to a new level. Sauat Mynbayev proposed creating a joint working group for trade economic cooperation and for organization of pharmaceutical productions in Kazakhstan. He also touched upon the implementation of joint oil and gas projects in the two countries. ?We have resolved all preliminary questions related to ?Satpayev? block. Now there is work on signing the final documents. We appeal our national companies for intensive work, and our ministries will support them?, Kazakh Minister said commenting on the ?Satpayev? project Agreement between National Company KazMunaiGaz JSC and ONGC Mittal Energy which was signed during the visit of President Nazarbayev to India. Murli Deora noted that Kazakhstan has been one of the crude suppliers to India since the beginning of this year. As for ?Satpayev? project he confirmed that all important questions between national operators have been resolved. ?I hope that soon they will sign contracts on exploration and production?, Indian Minister said. S.Mynbayev noted that as per the Agreement, the Indian party would defray all expenses and risks related to exploration at ?Satpayev? oil deal.