Kassym-Jomart Tokayev held talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan
March 16, 2023
Ankara city, Republic of Turkey
During his working visit to Ankara, the head of state held talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Welcoming the Turkish leader, the President of Kazakhstan thanked him for his hospitality and organization of an extraordinary summit of the Organization of Turkic States.
Kassym-Jomart Tokayev expressed condolences to the people of Turkey in connection with the devastating earthquake in the country.
– Once again I express my condolences to the families and friends of the victims and to the entire Turkish people. Turkey has always effectively resisted various challenges. I am sure that thanks to your rich experience and the unity of the country, you will overcome the current difficulties, the Head of State said.
The President emphasized the importance of developing cooperation in the field of emergency situations and ensuring constant readiness for possible threats. He noted the relevance of the agenda of the UTC summit held today, dedicated to the topic “Emergency Management and Humanitarian Aid”.
“It is very important for states to provide assistance to each other in times of natural disasters. This time we are convinced of this again. When the brotherly country got into trouble, the Turkic peoples showed a worthy example of solidarity and participation. Kazakhstan immediately extended a helping hand to our Turkish brothers,” Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said.
The head of state also noted that Turkey is one of the main trade partners of our country.
– Turkey is among the top five trading partners of Kazakhstan. Last year, trade between the two countries increased by 33% and reached $6.3 billion. This is the result of systematic work. Kazakhstan has the ability to send large volumes of goods to the Turkish market, the President said.
In addition, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev stated that he was ready to support the projects of Turkish investors in Kazakhstan.
Also during the meeting, the important role of the Trans-Caspian international transport route, known as the Middle Corridor, was noted. The Kazakh side declared its readiness to implement common infrastructure projects to develop the great potential of this transport and logistics route.
In turn, the President of Turkey expressed gratitude to the leader of Kazakhstan for accepting the invitation to visit Ankara.
– I am sincerely glad that you have come to Turkey. The earthquake killed 49,000 people. You were one of the first world leaders to make a phone call at this difficult time. Kazakh rescuers took part in rendering assistance to injured citizens. We felt a truly brotherly attitude, the President of Turkey emphasized.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan noted that as a result of the implementation of the agreements reached in the framework of mutual visits held in recent years, there is an increase in trade in all sectors. According to him, by the end of the year it is necessary to increase the trade turnover to $10 billion. The head of Turkey also noted that in order to develop transport links, it is necessary to fully use the potential of the Middle Corridor.
During the meeting, special attention was paid to the prospects for strengthening bilateral cooperation in trade, economic, investment, transport, logistics and energy sectors. There was also an exchange of views on issues of the regional and international agenda.