Russian-Kazakh trade adds over 4% in 5 months - Putin

OMSK. July 27 (Interfax) - Russian-Kazakh trade increased by more than 4% in the first five months of this year from $28 billion last year, Russian President Vladimir Putin said.

Putin arrived in Omsk on Saturday. He held a bilateral meeting with Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev before attending the 22nd Russian-Kazakh inter-regional cooperation forum. Moscow-Astana relations are strategic, as is evidenced, in particular, by the level of their growing trade, Putin said.

"Last year, it [was] nearly 28 billion [...] Quite decent. And in the first five months of this year it added a further over 4%. At any rate, that is according to our statistic data. This is a good dynamic that suggests we have good prospects, and these are shaped in part by investments. Today's investments create conditions and indicators for the future," Putin said.

Russian enterprises participate in 70 investment projects in Kazakhstan, worth around $30 billion in total, he said.

"Russia is a major investor in Kazakhstan's economy, and in a great variety of areas at that. Our relations are well-diversified: the metallurgical industry, mechanical engineering, energy, pharmaceutics and a number of others," Putin said.