Astana, Kazakhstan, Dec. 23
By Daniyar Mukhtarov - Trend:
Presidents of Kazakhstan and Ukraine Nursultan Nazarbayev and Petro Poroshenko expressed their mutual interest in intensifying the cooperation as part of the enlarged meeting in Kiev on Dec. 22, the Kazakh president's press-service said.
"I arrived on the day when the 20th anniversary of signing the treaty of friendship and cooperation between our two countries is marked," President Nazarbayev said. "The bilateral trade turnover doubled from 2010 to 2013. It has dropped this year. This does not correspond to the existing potential, as Ukraine is an important trade economic partner of Kazakhstan."
President Nazarbayev said that during the period of independence, Kazakhstan and Ukraine had close cooperation in many areas.
During the meeting, President Nazarbayev also spoke about the opportunities offered by the country's industrial and innovative development program and the main directions of the New Economic Policy Nurly Jol (Bright Path). The president invited Ukrainian businessmen to participate in the perspective projects within these programs.
He also stressed that the cooperation of the two countries can gain an additional momentum in the industrial, transit-transport, energy spheres.
President Poroshenko expressed his gratitude to his Kazakh counterpart for the sincere attitude towards Ukraine.
"Immediately after my invitation, you arrived to support us in a very difficult period," President Poroshenko said. "We, the government and the Ukrainian people appreciate this. In fact, we believe that the potential of bilateral relations between Ukraine and Kazakhstan is not fully implemented. The relevant bodies must work hard on this aspect."
President Poroshenko also pointed to the importance of intensifying the relations in the food industry, aircraft building, military-technical, cultural-humanitarian spheres.