Kazakh President starts official visit to Italy
E. November 5. KAZINFORM. /Yernur Akanbai/ Yesterday President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev arrived with a three-day official visit to the Italian Republic.
N. Nazarbayev will start his visit with a meeting with Director-General of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization Jacques Diouf and then hold bilateral meetings with the management of the leading Italian companies.
Afterwards the Kazakh leader will meet with his Italian counterpart Giorgio Napolitano. The heads of the two states are expected to make a statement for media.
Besides, Mr. Nazarbayev will meet with Prime Minister of Italy Silvio Berlusconi. A number of documents including the strategic cooperation agreement will be signed after their talks.
A reception in honor of the Kazakh President on behalf of the Italian Premier will be held in the evening.
Next day the President of Kazakhstan will visit Vatican and meet with Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone.
The Kazakh official delegation that accompanies the President consists of Secretary of State - Foreign Affairs Minister Kanat Saudabayev, Assistants to President Kairat Sarybai and Kuandyk Bishimbayev, Economy and Budget Planning Minister Bakhyt Sultanov, Industry and Trade Minister Asset Issekeshev, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Sauat Mynbayev.
The diplomatic relations between Kazakhstan and Italy were established in 1992. Italy was one of the first countries to acknowledge Kazakhstan's independence. In October 1992 the Italian embassy was opened in Kazakhstan. The Kazakh embassy in Italy started work in 1996.
Today Italy is one of the largest trade partners of Kazakhstan after Russia and China. According to the Kazakh Statistics Agency, over 8 months of 2009 the volume of bilateral commodity circulation has made USD 4.5 billion.