French foreign trade minister's visit to Astana will boost bilateral partnership, says Kazakh president

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on Tuesday said that French Minister Delegate for Foreign Trade Olivier Besht's visit to the capital Astana will provide a major boost in developing the country's partnership with Paris.

“I believe that this visit will give a serious impetus to the development of our mutually beneficial partnership in many areas. France is our largest partner in Europe. I am firmly convinced that we have great opportunities for further cooperation,” Tokayev said during a meeting with Besht, according to a statement by the Kazakh Presidency.

The statement further said that Tokayev and Besht discussed the implementation of trade and investment agreements reached following Tokayev’s visit to France last November.

Tokayev also expressed his readiness to provide “all the necessary conditions for a wider presence of French business in the Kazakh market,” especially in the areas of petrochemicals, green energy, aviation, manufacturing, transport, and logistics.

For his part, Besht thanked Tokayev for his hospitality and noted Paris’ satisfaction in terms of the dynamic development of cooperation between Kazakhstan and France.

“Your official visit to Paris last November was very successful, it gave a real political impetus to bilateral relations. I know that our President (Emmanuel Macron) attaches great importance to his excellent relations with you, which makes it possible to hold detailed conversations on the most important international issues.

“Therefore, he asked me to make every effort to develop our partnership. Your country is a reliable partner, a friendly state, and the only country in Central Asia with which we have established a strategic partnership,” Besht said.