MINSK, 9 June (BelTA) – Kazakhstan is a friend, ally and a reliable strategic partner of Belarus, Chair of the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly Natalya Kochanova said as she met with Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Belarus Askar Beisenbayev, BelTA has learned.
“Kazakhstan is our friend, ally and reliable strategic partner. There is no doubt about that. A testimony to that is a high level of political dialogue between our countries. Of course, the leaders of our countries have made a great contribution to this. The level of relations between the heads of state can be an example for other government agencies,” Natalya Kochanova said.
According to her, close cooperation has been established between the governments of Belarus and Kazakhstan. “A cooperation roadmap is being drawn at the highest level; preparations for the visit of the prime minister are underway. But first of all, we are waiting for the return visit of the leader of Kazakhstan to Belarus. These meetings are very important for our countries and will mark a new milestone in our relations. The inter-parliamentary cooperation between our countries holds a lot of promise, too. We will step up our efforts in this field,” Natalya Kochanova said.
The parliament speaker believes that the countries have good cooperation prospects in absolutely all areas, including economy. “Unfortunately, last year our trade somewhat shrank. But I am glad that as early as in the first quarter of this year the situation is getting better. I think that the groundwork we have laid will allow us to reach new heights in economic cooperation,” she said.
Askar Beisenbayev thanked Natalya Kochanova for the warm welcome and the opportunity to meet. “Our countries have always supported each other. Kazakhstan appreciates Belarus' support for its initiatives in the international arena. We hold similar views on many things,” he said.
The ambassador noted that Kazakhstan has a very friendly attitude to Belarus and Belarusians. “People in Kazakhstan believe that Belarusian products are invariably of high quality. The import of Belarusian products to Kazakhstan is on the rise, cooperation between our business people is expanding. They come here, discover Belarus and fall in love with your country. It is impossible not to fall in love with this state, this land and the people who have gone through a lot in their lifetime and once were on the brink of survival. There were three periods in the history of Kazakhstan when the nation could disappear from the world map. But we survived. Kazakhstan is rich in natural resources, but you are richer because you have the most precious asset - your people, hardworking and responsible. Kazakhstan and Belarus are strategic partners, and this is largely attributed to the friendly relations between our presidents. Thanks to this, the bilateral cooperation has reached a new level. We support and promote these relations,” he concluded.
