Austria–Kazakhstan dialogue gets boost in Astana

During his working trip, Peter Haubner visited the lower house of Kazakhstan's Parliament and was received by Majilis Speaker Yerlan Koshanov.

At the meeting, the two sides discussed steps to boost interparliamentary ties.

Welcoming the guest, the Majilis Speaker noted that Vienna is Astana's vital partner in Europe, underlining that lawmakers of both countries actively contribute to deepening political dialogue.

“The Head of State, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, attaches great importance to developing effective and multifaceted cooperation with Austria. Extensive efforts are being made through parliamentary diplomacy. In September this year, we received a delegation from the National Council and the Austrian Agricultural Cluster. Today, we are meeting with you. Our desire to better understand each other and communicate is the key to solid cooperation between our nations,” Yerlan Koshanov said.

Yerlan Koshanov outlined Kazakhstan's reforms and legislative measures for sustainable economic growth, including the drafting of new Budget, Tax, Water, and Construction codes, as well as bills on creative industries and subsoil use. Special attention was given to the MPs’ work on implementing the President’s directive to transform Kazakhstan into a fully digital state within the next three years.

For his part, Peter Haubner highlighted the importance of comprehensively strengthening interparliamentary dialogue as a foundation for strong relations between the two countries. He sees great potential for Kazakhstan and Austria to exchange best practices in the digitalization and the adoption of cutting-edge technologies. In addition, Austrian businesses, he said, show strong interest in expanding cooperation with Kazakhstan, and parliament members can provide substantial support along this avenue.

Both sides exchanged views on enhancing collaboration between friendship groups, relevant committees, and parliamentary offices. They also discussed intentions to deepen interaction within through the Inter-Parliamentary Union, the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, and the Council of Europe.

The MPs agreed to provide comprehensive support for expanding cooperation between the two countries in trade, mechanical engineering, agriculture, transport and logistics, and other areas.

Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that the Speaker of the Kazakh Majilis paid an official visit to Morocco.