ASTANA, Kazakhstan, August 1. For the European Union, Kazakhstan is an enormous stepping stone between East and West, said Josep Borrell, the High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Trend reports via the European External Action Service (EEAS).
His comment came during a press conference following his meeting with Murat Nurtleu, the foreign minister of Kazakhstan.
"Kazakhstan has a strategic geographical position; it is a great bridge between Europe and Asia. Under the leadership of President [Kassym-Jomart] Tokayev, Kazakhstan has embarked on a path of wide-ranging political and economic reforms that we support. We support this path to modernization, where economic and political reforms should go hand in hand," he said.
Borrell noted that the EU is keen on getting down to brass tacks and beefing up its collaboration with Kazakhstan.
"As my mandate representing the European Union will end in three months, it was important for me to come here to Astana to reaffirm our strong interest and commitment to strengthen [our] cooperation with Central Asia as a whole and with Kazakhstan, the biggest country in the region in particular," he pointed out.
Earlier, Borrell held a meeting with the President of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Takoyev. During the meeting, the parties discussed the prospects for cooperation between Kazakhstan and the European Union. They also had a meeting of the minds on current international issues and the importance of regional cooperation among Central Asian countries.