Kazakhstan working on visa-free travel, direct air traffic with Israel for purpose of efficient cooperation - Nazarbayev
ASTANA. Dec 14 (Interfax) - Kazakhstan and Israel have agreed to develop trade and economic cooperation, and a visa-free travel regime and direct air traffic are pending for the purpose of efficient cooperation, Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev said after negotiations with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday.
"As we have agreed, efficient interaction is possible in a number of spheres, especially in trade and economic cooperation. We have agreed [to cooperate] in agriculture, information technologies, innovations, green energy, medicine and tourism," Nazarbayev said, adding that this would be done "on terms of openness and trust."
"We need direct air traffic and visa-free travel between our countries so that businesses can work. Kazakhstan has been resolving the issue for its part. In turn, interested companies will deal with commercial issues," the president said.
Israel has been a friend and an important economic partner of Kazakhstan throughout the years of independence, Nazarbayev said.
"A special relationship between our countries is not accidental: tens of thousands of Israelis with origins in Kazakhstan, who were deported here during the war, settled down and found an attentive and prudent attitude, are contributing to that. They left for their home country but good relations were preserved. They greet me as one of their own when I visit Tel Aviv. They are a living bridge of friendship, and they are helping our cooperation," Nazarbayev said.