Nazarbayev calls to enhance Foreign Ministry's work

Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev has introduced the new Foreign Minister Yerlan Idrissov to the Foreign Ministry's staff, Tengrinews.kz reports citing the President’s press-service. “I am thankful to Yerzhan Kazykhanov for his work during Kazakhstan’s chairmanship in the Organization for Islamic Cooperation (OIC). I believe that we successfully fulfilled this mission in spite of the tensions in Muslim countries. Yerlan Idrissov has long been a prominent person in the Foreign Ministry. He has been Kazakhstan's ambassador in London and in Washington for a long time and has ample work experience. Now this experience should be used for the benefit of our people and the country,” President noted. According to Nazarbayev, special attention has to be given to resolution of foreign-economic issues. “Foreign Ministry’s work on foreign-economic issues has to be enhanced. We are implementing a program of industrial-innovative development and our current task is to attract new technologies. It is important to work very pragmatically. In particular, we have to strengthen our embassies in the countries where we have large economic contacts and interests. We have approached the moment when we are capable to invest into other countries. We can become shareholders in high-tech companies,” President added. According to him, the Foreign Ministry has performed a successful work in all direction in the last decades that saw hosting of the OSCE Summit, Kazakhstan’s chairmanship in the OIC, activities in the SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organization) and CICA (Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia). “Our activities in the Customs Union and CES (Common Economic Space) are priorities in the nearest future. These are the key tasks of your Ministry,” President added.