Astana-Berlin: dialogue in working regime

The parties discussed the state and prospects of bilateral cooperation and pointed out positive results of holding the Year of Kazakhstan in Germany in 2009. The parties also expressed confidence that the Year of Germany in Kazakhstan which has been launched under the support of Presidents N. Nazarbayev and H. Kohler would become a milestone in bilateral cooperation and would give new impulse to further development of the Kazakh-German interaction. In this view, the ministers focused on possible visit of German Chancellor Angela Merkel to Kazakhstan at the invitation of N. Nazarbayev.

The heads of the foreign offices considered cooperation of Kazakhstan and Germany on the international arena, in particular, in light of RK's forthcoming chairmanship in the OSCE. Having congratulated Kazakhstan on assuming the office of the Organization's chairman, G. Westerwelle expressed support to holding the summit of the OSCE leaders in Astana.

G. Westerwelle expressed satisfaction with the growing role of Kazakhstan in rehabilitation of Afghanistan and noted that the program on teaching Afghan students initiated by Astana was an important factor of their involvement in new creative life.