Nazarbayev arrives in Sochi to take part in Russia-Kazakhstan Interregional Cooperation Forum

Kazakhstan’s President Nursultan Nazarbayev arrived in Sochi yesterday to take part in the XII Russia-Kazakhstan Interregional Cooperation Forum, which has taken place today, September 16, Tengrinews reports citing the press office of Akorda.

Before that, on Monday, Nazarbayev attended a two-day summit of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), a military alliance of six former Soviet countries - Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan - in Tajikistan's capital Dushanbe.

On Tuesday evening, Russia’s Vladimir Putin, Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko and Kazakhstan’s President Nazarbayev flew to Sochi, where Putin received the two leaders in his Bocharov Ruchei residence in Sochi.

Photo courtesy of the press office of Russian Kremlin

During an informal meeting, Lukashenko, Nazarbayev and Putin discussed the Eurasian Economic Union that started it work this year and other topics that were high on the international agenda. “The leaders of three countries agreed to continue meeting regularly to ‘compare notes’ concerning the Eurasian integration and international arena in general,” press office of the Russian Kremlin informed.

Photo courtesy of the press office of Russian Kremlin

Today, September 16, Nazarbayev and Putin took part in the XII Russia-Kazakhstan Interregional Cooperation Forum. The topic of this year's forum was food security and cooperation in agricultural sector. It brought together heads of key ministries and agencies, heads of regions of Russia and Kazakhstan and business leaders.

Prior to the plenary meeting, Nazarbayev met with Putin to discuss Kazakh-Russian cooperation and ways to boost cooperation in agriculture and increase trade turnover in this sector, which accounts for less than 9 percent of the overall trade turnover between the two countries. The two leader also talked over the integration within the frameworks of the Eurasian Economic Union and other regional alliances.

Today's forum began with the agricultural exhibition, where 60 Kazakhstan's agricultural enterprises took part. They presented dairy products, meat, fruits and vegetables, sausages, confectionery, pasta, alcoholic and soft drinks, honey and bee products. 

Furthermore, agreements have been inked between the regions of Kazakhstan and Russia, in particular, between Omsk and Pavlodar region, between Udmurtiya and Pavlodar region, the Ulyanovsk region and Aktobe region and between Volgograd region and West Kazakhstan region.

Such annual meetings have been held since 2003 with the two countries taking turns to host them. The last meeting was held in Atyrau, Kazakhstan last year.

By Assel Satubaldina