Bahrain is Kazakhstan's important partner in Persian Gulf - Nazarbayev

As reported earlier, Sheikh of the Kingdom of Bahrain Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa is on his first official visit to Astana. "We have discussed a number of relevant issues. Kazakhstan believes that Bahrain is one of its most important partners in the Persian Gulf," Nursultan Nazarbayev said, noting the need to step up commercial and economic cooperation between the two nations. The Kazakh President stressed the Kingdom had quickly become an industrially developed state under wise leadership of Sheikh Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa. "Bahrain is the center of Islamic banking and boasts a vast financial network in the Islamic world. However, sales turnover between Kazakhstan and Bahrain totals only $1.5 million a year", Nazarbayev added. The Kazakh leader expressed confidence the Astana meeting would have a positive impact on further cooperation between Kazakhstan and Bahrain.