Turkey, Kazakhstan aim to reach $10 bln trade volume: Erdoğan
ANKARA
Turkey and Kazakhstan will reach their targeted $10 billion bilateral trade volume as the volume doubled since the previous year, the Turkish president said on May 10.
Erdoğan and President Kassym-Jomart K. Tokayev of Kazakhstan held a joint press conference following their meeting at the Presidential Complex.
Pointing out that the visit was President Tokayev’s first-ever state visit to Turkey, President Erdoğan noted that the two countries were marking the 30th anniversary of their diplomatic relations. “We have elevated our cooperation to the enhanced strategic partnership level with the joint memorandum we have just signed. Turkey and Kazakhstan, which draw strength from their shared history, language, religion and culture, are two brotherly countries with long-standing relations. Turkey attaches great importance to Kazakhstan’s peace and stability.”
Offering condolences for those who died in the incidents that took place in January in Kazakhstan and wising a speedy recovery to the injured, President Erdoğan stated: “I believe that Kazakhstan, our friend, has emerged stronger from those incidents. The perseverance and will President Tokayev has displayed to shape the New Kazakhstan is praiseworthy. We support the comprehensive reform program implemented in this regard. Let me once again underline that we stand ready to do our part for the stability, peace, security and prosperity of our Kazakh brothers and sisters.”
Stating that Turkey would continue to encourage Turkish companies to invest more in the Kazakhstan under the leadership of President Tokayev, President Erdoğan said: “In our meetings, we have agreed to make more use of the big potential for cooperation in a wide range of areas from transportation to mutual investments, defense industry to energy, education and culture. We have also exchanged views on regional and international issues. We have particularly discussed the regional and global effects of the situation in Ukraine.”
“We have particularly observed that our views that the crisis should be resolved by peaceful means on the basis of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity overlap,” President Erdoğan said. “As you know, we have been making intensive efforts for the termination of the war in Ukraine since the very beginning. This war has once again showed the importance of the solidarity and cooperation among the Turkic states both at the bilateral level and within the Organization of Turkic States. With my treasured brother, we have reaffirmed our determination to maintain our solidarity at various platforms including the United Nations, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and the Economic Cooperation Organization besides the Organization of Turkic States. As such, we will hold our Strategic Cooperation Council meeting in Kazakhstan in October.”