Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev stated on Thursday that Kazakhstan’s relations with Russia are “unbreakable” and not subject to political fluctuations.
“It is safe to say that the relations between Kazakhstan and Russia, which have withstood the test of time, will continue to be unbreakable and not subject to any political condition,” the Kazakh leader declared during a meeting with Putin in Astana.
Tokayev added that Kazakhstan is increasing trade with Russia.
“Russia is our strategic partner and an ally of Kazakhstan. Over the past three years, the trade volume between our countries increased by 30%,” Tokayev noted. He detailed that last year the figure reached $27 billion and amounted to $17 billion during the first eight months of the current year.
“We have the capacity to continue increasing the volume,” Tokayev said.
Tokayev indicated that Russian companies are among the top five investors in the Asian country’s economy.
Energy sector cooperation
The two presidents also discussed cooperation in the energy sector and the implementation of oil and gas projects.
“We addressed the issue of Russian gas supply to the south and increasing the volume of Russian gas supplies to China (via Kazakh territory),” Tokayev said.
Putin recalled that Russian territory is used for the transit of Kazakh oil to global markets, while Kazakhstan transfers Russian hydrocarbons to China.
The Kremlin chief has barely traveled abroad since the beginning of the Russian war in Ukraine, mainly limiting himself to visits to the Central Asian region for post-Soviet alliance meetings and to China.
Tokayev’s hosting of Putin follows his reception of high-ranking officials from the European Union (EU) several months ago and, more recently, French President Emmanuel Macron and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.
Macron, in particular, expressed understanding of the pressure Kazakhstan may feel due to its close ties with Russia, while supporting the country’s choice to diversify its relations with multiple nations. EFE