Astana and Beijin sign agreements worth $14 billion

Astana and Beijing have signed agreements worth $14 billion, a Tengrinews.kz journalist reports.

In Astana, Kazakhstan’s capital city, the country’s PM Karim Massimov met Chinese Premier Li Keqiang.

“Following the talks, we witnessed signing of a wide range of important agreements, contracts between respective ministries and companies of the two nations. They are totally worth $14 billion. In terms of figures, it is one of the greatest results achieved during my recent trips to neighboring nations. This indicator is a sign of strengthening and widening of cooperation, its high current level”, Li Keqiang told a briefing.

Li Keqiang emphasized that China has been placing a special attention to neighborly, mutually beneficial cooperation with Kazakhstan. As of today, China is the 2nd largest trade partner of Kazakhstan. In terms of foreign investments to China, Kazakhstan is ranked 1st among the CIS nations.

China’s Premier expressed hope for development of cooperation outside the extraction sectors. “I’ve come here in winter, but my heart is being kept warm with the hospitality I’ve been receiving (…) The temperature of cooperation between the two nations is also rising. It feels as if it were spring”, Li Keqiang said on his first ever visit to Kazakhstan.

“We have discussed the entire range of cooperation between the two nations (…) we have agreed that amidst the changed global economic environment and changing prices for hydrocarbons, we will be pursuing a concerted macroeconomic policy and will be holding consultations between respective government bodies. We’ll be working to transform winter into a true spring”, PM Massimov said.

At the talks today Kazakhstan’s PM Karim Massimov and his Chinese counterpart signed a joint communiqué following the 2nd scheduled talks between heads of the two governments, a protocol to amend the intergovernmental agreement on regulating the Khorgos Transborder Cooperation Center.

Besides, the two sides nations signed an MoU on cooperation in the nuclear power industry, an MoU between Kazakhstan’s National Economy Ministry and China’s National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) to jointly create the economic belt along the Silk Way; a plan of actions between Kazakhstan’s Finance Ministry and China’s General Administration of Customs.

A framework agreement to develop Kazakhstan-based potassium deposits and an agreement on exchange of foreign currencies are also among the signed agreements.