Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 31
By Elena Kosolapova - Trend: Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassadors of Japan - Masayoshi Kamohara, Pakistan - Shaukat Ali Mukadi, Oman - Said bin Mohammed bin Ali al-Barami, Netherlands Hans Driesser and Afghanistan - Mohammad Farooq Baraki presented their credentials to Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev on Jan. 31, Kazakh presidential press-service reported.
Nursultan Nazarbayev congratulated the ambassadors on the beginning of their diplomatic mission in Kazakhstan and expressed hope that their work will give new impetus to comprehensive bilateral relations.
During the ceremony Kazakh President noted that cooperation between Kazakhstan and the Netherlands is at an all-time high.
"Your country is one of the leading economic partners of our republic. The bilateral turnover reached $10 billion last year. The volume of the Netherlands investments into the Kazakh economy amounted to about $48 billion," Nazarbayev said.
The two countries are actively cooperating in development of the Kazakh energy sector and transportation of Kazakh hydrocarbons to the world markets, Nazarbayev said. Moreover Kazakhstan is interested in more active participation of Dutch companies in the Kazakh state program on forced industrial-innovative development.
President also said that Kazakhstan is interested in the development of mutually beneficial cooperation with Japan.
"We consider your country as one of the most important strategic partners in the Asia- Pacific region. Given the high technological level of your country, Kazakhstan is interested in the participation of leading Japanese companies in joint high-tech industries," Nazarbayev said referring to the Japan ambassador.
He urged expedition of the signing of the Kazakh-Japanese bilateral Agreement on the Liberalization, Encouragement and Reciprocal Protection of Investments, which will contribute to a full-scale trade and economic cooperation between the two countries.
Nazarbayev also said that Kazakhstan has friendly and good-neighborly relations with Afghanistan and welcomed the efforts of the Afghan Government aim at stabilization of the socio-economic situation in the country. He promised to continue providing assistance to this process.
The president also said the Kazakhstan attaches great importance to strengthening of cooperation with Pakistan.
"Having high economic potential and favorable geopolitical location, Pakistan is a promising trade partner for Kazakhstan. We have bilateral projects in the field of agriculture and processing of agricultural products. Kazakhstan as a major producer of grain crops may supply them to Pakistan. We could explore the prospects of cooperation in this sphere," he said.
President also said that Kazakhstan is interested in expanding of cooperation with Oman.
"Given the economic potential of the two countries, we have to strengthen pragmatic cooperation in the fields of agriculture, petrochemicals, energy, transport, tourism and construction," Nazarbayev said.
He also invited Omani companies to participate in the implementation of major industrial projects in Kazakhstan, as well as to share experience in the extraction and transportation of hydrocarbons.