Kazakhstan to build friendly, trust-based relations with Russia - Nazarbayev
15:12, 5 December 2014
ASTANA. KAZINFORM - Kazakhstan should build friendly and trust-based relations with Russia, President Nursultan Nazarbayev said at a press conference after negotiations with President of France Francois Hollande on Friday.
"Russia is our closest neighbor and strategic partner. We share 7 500km-long common border. There are nearly 3 million ethnic Russians residing in Kazakhstan and 2 million Kazakhs living in Russia. In this context, we should build bilateral relations based on friendship and trust," President Nazarbayev stressed. The Kazakh leader reminded it was his idea to create the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) and pointed out the EU and EEU should develop cooperation. The Head of State also stressed that the EEU will not affect Kazakhstan's independence and its multi-vector policy. This year Kazakhstan signed the new enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement with the EU.