28 Nov 2022 18:29

Kazakh president backs trilateral union with Russia, Uzbekistan

MOSCOW. Nov 28 (Interfax) - Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said he supports a proposal voiced by Russian President Vladimir Putin to set up a certain trilateral union of Russia, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, in particular, to resolve issues in the gas sector.

"Indeed, there are issues that require additional coordination and even negotiations. In particular, this concerns the gas sphere. But we are not dramatizing any issues here. I have just told [Russian President] Vladimir Vladimirovich [Putin] that there are such issues, and they require a discussion, but absolutely without any dramatizing. These are working issues," Tokayev said at a meeting with Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin following the Russian-Kazakh summit in the Kremlin.

The Kazakh president expressed confidence that "we will reach relevant agreements." "Moreover, today Vladimir Vladimirovich spoke of the fact that we need to create a certain trilateral union, and he is going to call the Uzbek president," Tokayev said.

"We also need to look into this topic, at least me, not to mention our experts, in order to achieve a result and an agreement that we are seeking," he said. "Why not?" the Kazakh president added.