Saint Petersburg to open Information Business Center in Astana

"The agreement was inked by member of the Saint Petersburg Government, Chairman of the Committee for External Relations of Saint Petersburg Alexander Prokhorenko and Vice President of 'EES Kazakhstan' Ltd. Arman Abdrakhmanov. Consul general of the Republic of Kazakhstan Beketzhan Zhumakhanov was in attendance at the signing ceremony," the statement by the Saint Petersburg City Administration reads.

The Saint Petersburg center in Astana is expected to facilitate the mutually beneficial cooperation between Saint Petersburg and regions of Kazakhstan, since it is going to work outside the Kazakh capital as well.

"The commercial and economic and scientific and technical cooperation between the enterprises of Saint Petersburg and Kazakhstan is on the rise at the moment. The Customs Union of Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus offers favorable conditions for formation of mutually profitable contacts and creation of joint ventures in the agricultural sector," the statement says.

In addition, Kazakhstan wants Saint Petersburg construction companies to help develop infrastructure of the EXPO-2017 exhibition zone in Astana.