Ukraine - one of key political and economic partners of Kazakhstan in post-soviet space - Nazarbayev

After the formal welcoming ceremony Presidents Nursultan Nazarbayev and Viktor Yanukovych held narrow and extended negotiations. The parties discussed the issues of development of bilateral cooperation in political, trade-economic and cultural-humanitarian spheres.

This is the seventh meeting of N. Nazarbayev and V. Yanukovych this year.

The Kazakh leader noted that Ukraine was one of the key political and economic partners of Kazakhstan in the post-soviet space.

The key topic of the talks was activation of trade-economic cooperation. Because of the global financial crisis the volume of bilateral trade turnover between Kazakhstan and Ukraine decreased and made USD 3.4 billion in 2009. In this context both sides noted the necessity to increase efficiency of work of Kazakh-Ukrainian Interstate Commission of Economic Cooperation.

The presidents considered the progress of implementation of the action plan Kazakhstan-Ukraine for 2010-2011 "Road Map-3". Such spheres as oil and gas sector, nuclear energy, transport and transit, engineering, space and agro-industrial complex were determined as the most perspective directions of business development.

N. Nazarbayev told about big investment projects implemented within the framework of the Kazakhstan State Program of Forced Industrial Innovative Development. The President invited business circles of Ukraine to take part in these projects.

The sides exchanged opinions on the issues of collaboration with the OSCE, CIS and other organizations. N. Nazarbayev expressed gratitude for the support of Kazakhstan's initiative on holding the OSCE Summit in Astana and noted that Kazakhstan would fully support the candidacy of Ukraine for the OSCE chair in 2013.