Astana, Kazakhstan, July 3
By Daniyar Mukhtarov - Trend:
The seventh round of negotiations on the new agreement on expanded partnership and cooperation between Kazakhstan and the European Union was held in Brussels, according to the press service of the Kazakh Foreign Ministry.
Kazakh government delegation headed by Deputy Foreign Minister Alexei Volkov, a delegation of the European Union was headed by European External Action Service Director for Russia, Eastern Partnership, Central Asia Regional Cooperation and OSCE countries.
"Kazakhstan and the European Union reaffirmed their interest in conclusion of agreement in the least time possible designed to expand and upgrade the existing agreement on partnership and cooperation signed in 1995," the report said.
The increased strategic interest in Kazakhstan once again noted in Brussels as a regional power, while stressing that the country is the only country in Central Asia, with which the European Union is negotiating on the agreement of the second generation.
Heads of delegations of Kazakhstan and the EU stressed that the new agreement will provide a broad framework for enhanced political dialogue, deep cooperation in the area of justice and security, the further development of bilateral trade and investment, strengthening the economic and humanitarian cooperation, cooperation in the field of research and innovation, as well as create new opportunities for business cooperation between Kazakhstan and the EU.
As a result of intense and difficult negotiations the parties reached a final agreement on the content and statements of all sections of the agreement, covering the political, legal, commercial, economic, humanitarian and sectoral cooperation.
The parties agreed to hold the final round of negotiations in Astana in autumn with the aim of technical initialling of the draft agreement on the level of the chief negotiators of Kazakhstan and the European Union and the preparation of subsequent initialling of the draft agreement at the political level by the end of the year.
Over the past few years, the EU is the leading trade and investment partner of Kazakhstan. In 2013, the trade turnover of Kazakhstan-EU amounted to $53.4 billion. In January-April the figure was $ 19 billion, which accounts for 53, 7 percent of the foreign trade turnover of Kazakhstan. Some 47 percent of foreign capital in the national economy is of European origin.
Edited by CN