Senate’s Speaker Tokayev delivers speech at Diplomatic Academy in Russia
Speaking at a meeting, Mr.Tokayev noted that more than 40 countries around the world are interested in creating free trade zones with the Eurasian Economic Union. "According to the President of Kazakhstan, creation of EAEC - an adequate response to global challenges, including the threat of the global economic crisis," he said. In addition, the Speaker of the Senate of Kazakhstan underlined the Chinese concept of economic belt of the Silk Road. "We pay tribute to the Chinese concept and the economic belt along the Great Silk Road. Kazakhstan is the largest state in the world that does not have access to open sea. However, it has a favorable geo-strategic position in the center of the Eurasian continent. This project is of particular importance in terms of strengthening the country's strategic position as a transit area connecting East and West, North and South of the continent," K. Tokayev said. "It is profitable and strategically important to pair the two mega-projects - the EEU and the economic belt along the Silk Road," he stressed. Chairman of the Senate also stressed that these projects will create a vast common trade and economic space with unlimited possibilities for the benefit of the respective countries. "A good example is "Western Europe - Western China" road corridor with the length of 8445 kilometers. The road corridor is under construction. However, it is planned that by 2020 the rail and motor ways of "Western Europe - Western China" corridor will transport about 330 million tons of cargo," he said.
