Francois Hollande on Kazakhstan’s role in tense situation between Russia and EU

Kazakhstan has been playing a special role in settling the tense situation between Russia and the European Union, French President Francois Hollande said at the talks with Kazakhstan’s President Nursultan Nazarbayev today.

Francois Hollande stressed that his visit resulted from the agreement reached on President Nazarbayev’s visit to France back in 2012.
“If we look back at the time French president François Mitterrand ‘s visit to Kazakhstan, your country is an absolutely different country now (…) We are having talks against the backdrop of tense relations between Russia and Europe. I want all the issues solved, and in this context Kazakhstan has been playing a special role”, Francois Hollande.

At the talks the two sides dwelt on key vectors of the bilateral strategic partnership and key issues in trade and economic, investments, oil and gas, space exploration and railway construction realms. The two leaders exchanged their opinions on the most acute issues on the international agenda.

President Nazarbayev emphasized that the foundation for the bilateral relations between the two nations had been laid by French president François Mitterrand , who was one of the first in Europe to acknowledge Kazakhstan’s independence [gained from the USSR back in 1991] and arrived in Kazakhstan in 1993.

“Since then the bilateral relations have reached the level of strategic partnership. Over 100 French companies have been operating in Kazakhstan, complemented by many JVs. Dozens of new projects are under way. I am pleased to see you are being accompanied by numerous representatives of the French business circles. I am sure the talks will have an effect on furthering the bilateral relations”, President Nazarbayev said.