We see Kazakhstan as a potential gateway to international markets - Secretary of State - Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of San Marino Pasquale Valentini

Mr. Valentini, what outcomes of the bilateral negotiations do you consider the most important? The main goal of our visit to Kazakhstan was to establish bilateral cooperation. We visited the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan, the Ministry of Investments and Development, and signed a number of agreements. Signing of the Memorandum of Cooperation was the highlight of our meetings here. I would like to note that this is the first ever visit of the delegation of the Republic of San Marino to Kazakhstan. Another important point in the program of our visit to Kazakhstan was the meeting of the Chamber of Commerce of San Marino with their colleagues - the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Kazakhstan and the conclusion of the cooperation agreement. The meeting with local business circles proved to be productive as well as we inked several contracts. It is worth mentioning that our delegation included Minister of Industry of San Marino Marco Arzilli and Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce Pier Giovanni Terenzi who led the economic delegation. As I have already mentioned, the Memorandum of Cooperation was signed during our visit. In the nearest future we plan to hold a number of meetings and then develop a roadmap of economic cooperation that will map out the key spheres of cooperation between our countries. What are the most promising areas of cooperation between Kazakhstan and San Marino? We have identified four most important and promising areas of cooperation between the two countries. First of all, we can cooperate in the construction sector, interior design, and furniture. The second one is the pharmaceutical industry, since San Marino is famous for its pharmaceuticals and biologically active additives. San Marino boasts large pharmaceutical factories. The third area is agriculture, since high-quality agricultural products are produced in San Marino. And the last but definitely not least is the financial and banking sector that affects the development of other sectors. Are entrepreneurs in your country well-informed of the conditions for doing business in Kazakhstan? It were Ambassador of Kazakhstan in Rome Andrian Yelemesov and Honorary Consul of Kazakhstan in Italy and San Marino Giovanni Pomponi who told us about the favorable investment climate in Kazakhstan. The Embassy of Kazakhstan in the United States and the Permanent Representation of the Republic of Kazakhstan under the United Nations also provided detailed information on the topic. Basically, we were told about the conditions that had been created in Kazakhstan for foreign investors and our companies began to study the market in your country. To this end, the economic delegation of San Marino traveled to Kazakhstan. Now we see that Kazakhstan is a very profitable market and we will make further steps to develop bilateral economic cooperation between the countries. I would also like to note that the establishment of the Eurasian Economic Union with Kazakhstan, Russia and Belarus as its founding states, would create a single economic market that is very interesting to us. From 2008 onwards San Marino started to conduct a policy of internationalization. We would like to enter the international market as an independent state. We want to reach the international level. And in this context, we see Kazakhstan as a potential partner. Because Kazakhstan is a young, developing, big and strong state that has earned a remarkable standing in the international arena. San Marino and Kazakhstan have a lot in common. Does your country plan to participate in the EXPO-2017 event in Astana? Currently, we have focused all our efforts and resources on the EXPO 2015 in Milan that is set to begin next May. During negotiations here in Astana, we familiarized with the EXPO 2017 program. We need to figure out whether we have time to prepare for the 2017 event. We will do our best. The question is will San Marino participate as an independent state and have its own stand or pavilion or as part of Italy's delegation. In your opinion, what are the prospects for tourism development between our countries? This issue was also discussed during the meeting at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan. 250 thousand tourists from Russia visit San Marino every year. And nearly 2 million tourists come to San Marino from all around the world. Tourists from Kazakhstan are welcome too. We have a lot to offer: beautiful country, sightseeing, architecture, shopping. The main problem is the visa regime. For this purpose, we intend to conclude a number of agreements to ease the visa regime and facilitate the entry of Kazakhstanis to San Marino. Thank you for the interview.