New Kazakh-EU accord will benefit economic ties - President Nazarbayev
ASTANA. Oct 10 (Interfax) - Kazakhstan and the European Union have completed negotiations on a new draft expanded partnership and cooperation agreement, the Kazakh leader's press service said on Thursday.
Documents confirming the completion of these talks, as well as the end of bilateral negotiations between Kazakhstan and the EU as part of Kazakhstan's accession to the World Trade Organization were signed in Brussels in the presence of Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev and European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso.
Nazarbayev said he was convinced that the implementation of this agreement would help further promote economic ties between Kazakhstan and the EU.
"The new agreement is a practical instrument, which will create conditions for the successful work of Kazakh and European entrepreneurs. It will also serve to bolster contacts between our citizens. Kazakhstan has adopted a development strategy for the period up to 2050 and has set the goal of joining the world's top 30 most developed countries. Given the European Union's huge potential and exceptional experience in different spheres, we count on its support as we seek to achieve the ambitious goals facing our country," Nazarbayev was quoted as saying by his press service.
"A document on the completion of bilateral talks between the Republic of Kazakhstan and the European Union as part of Kazakhstan's accession to the WTO was signed today as well. Both of these documents are highly important for our country. We raised the issue of drafting such a new agreement in 2006 for the first time. The past three or four years saw vigorous talks on these matters. They have been completed successfully. Kazakhstan is the only country of Central Asia that will sign a second-generation agreement with the EU. It means that our relations are about to enter a qualitatively new level and confirms the strategic nature and maturity of our partnership," the Kazakh leader said.