Astana and Hanoi become twin cities

Astana and Hanoi are becoming twin cities. Kazakhstan and Vietnam have signed a range of bilateral agreements, Tengrinews.kz reports citing Kazakhstan President’s press-service. The talks of Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev and Vietnamese President Truong Tan Sang in narrow and expanded formats were followed by signing of bilateral inter-government documents on cooperation in quarantine and protection of plants, opening of air route. Most likely, the parties meant direct flights from Almaty to Ho Chi Minh that the authorities of Kazakhstan and Vietnam agreed upon in 2011. The flight will be launched by the end of 2012. They also signed memorandums on establishing twin-city relations between Astana and Hanoi and mutual understanding between Kazakhstan National Bank and the State Bank of Vietnam. Earlier Tengrinews.kz English reported that the Presidents agreed on a range of oil and gas projects and discussed signing of a Free Trade Zone Agreement between the Customs Union and Vietnam. By Renat Tashkinbayev