Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 5
By Ali Mustafayev – Trend:
Kazakhstan and Greece held a joint Business Forum that brought together some 100 entrepreneurs from the two countries during the visit of the Alternate Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Hellenic Republic Georgios Katrougkalos to Kazakhstan, the Kazakh Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a message Feb. 5.
Katrougkalos also met with Vice Minister for Investments and Development of Kazakhstan Arystan Kabikenov.
The Chamber of Commerce of Kazakhstan and the SEV Hellenic Federation of Enterprises signed a Cooperation Agreement during the Business Forum.
Special attention was paid to facilitating the European Union visa regime for the citizens of Kazakhstan. The sides unanimously agreed that simplifying visa procedures corresponds to their mutual interests of enhancing business, educational, cultural and tourist exchanges between the EU and Kazakhstan.
The sides also engaged in a detailed exchange of views on topical international issues: Kazakhstan's role as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, the Astana Process of talks on Syria, prospects of cooperation between the EU and the Eurasian Economic Union, and other matters.
In 2017, trade between Kazakhstan and Greece increased by 10.6 percent compared to 2016 ($980.6 million: exports from Kazakhstan to Greece – $964 million, imports from Greece to Kazakhstan – $16.6 million).