The President of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbayev, met Turkish Prime Minister Rejep Tayyub Erdogan in Antalia, Turkey, Presidents Administration told Trend special correspondent in Kazakhstan. The Turkish PM invited Nazarbayev to participate in the solemn ceremony dedicated to the commencement of the Turkish section of the BTC in Ceyhan on 13 July. The Kazakh leader noted that the importance of the project for the development of the economic cooperation of the countries participating in it and increase of the economic welfare of the nation of this region.
Along with bilateral political, trade, investment cooperation, the talks centered on issues of regional character. Both sides noted the unanimity in the position on actual issues of regional and international policy and necessity for continuing the interaction.
Within the framework of bilateral cooperation major importance will be attached to ways of increase of goods turnover between the two countries, which currently amounts to $600m. In particular, it is dealt with the necessity of increase of cargo turnover and improvement of the Almaty-Istanbul and Aktau-Baku-Tbilisi-Kars-Istanbul main railway routes. They also discussed investment cooperation in the energy sector. Erdogan assured that relevant instructions will be given on the initiatives by Kazakhstan.
Nazarbayev noted that Kazakhstan appreciates Turkeys support in the countrys important foreign policy initiatives such as calling of a meeting of the Council of Interaction and Mutual Confidence in Asia, conduct of the second congress of world and traditional religions. He invited the Turkish leadership to participate in forthcoming summits.