The EU's relations with Kazakhstan reaches new orbit

The Kazakhstan's delegation was headed by Deputy Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Yerbol Orynbayev. Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Linas Antanas Linkevičius took part on behalf of Europe.

According to the Deputy Prime Minister of Kazakhstan, a wide range of issues of bilateral and multilateral cooperation was considered within the further cooperation strengthening with the EU. Besides, the sides exchanged their views on live international and regional situations.

"We have discussed a cooperation project on extend partnership between Kazakhstan and the EU. The EU backed Kazakhstan's concepts within a new form of this agreement," Y. Orynbayev said to the Kazakh mass media.

In addition, the head of the Kazakh delegation noted, Cooperation Council' s session held in Brussels laid a good foundation for fruitful negotiations scheduled on October in Astana city.

Besides, energy, civil aviation, trade, Kazkahstan's accession to WTO and other points of mutual interest were discussed at the meeting.

In turn, Linas Antanas Linkevičius noted that the EU is interested in further negotiations and the conclusion of a new agreement on enhanced partnership and cooperation between Kazakhstan and the EU.

In addition, the European side stressed the importance of implementation of the EU Strategy for Central Asia, and also welcomed the participation of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the EU regional initiatives in Central Asia.

The Minister of Foreign affairs of Lithuania added the metteing considered the political interaction between Kazakhstan and the EU, supremacy of law and human rights, trade economic relationships and the regional cooperation in the Central Asia.

The EU expressed support for Kazakhstan's accession to the WTO, which will remove the remaining barriers to trade, and to increase the growth of bilateral trade.

Besides, the meeting stressed the importance of regional cooperation in Central Asia as an effective tool for conflict prevention and socio-economic development in the region.