Tokayev and Putin outlined key priorities for cooperation within the Eurasian region.

The Head of State Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and President of Russia Vladimir Putin, who is in Astana on an official visit, participated via video conference in the plenary session of the XX Forum of Interregional Cooperation between Kazakhstan and Russia.

Welcoming the participants, the President of Kazakhstan noted that over two decades, the Forum has evolved into an effective platform that sets the tone for strengthening the strategic partnership between our countries.

"Cooperation in trade, economic, and investment spheres, as well as industrial cooperation, demonstrates a stable growth dynamic. Indeed, trade turnover is increasing. Last year, it reached an impressive $27 billion. At the same time, Russia accounts for nearly 20% of Kazakhstan's foreign trade. The total volume of direct Russian investments has approached $25 billion. The annual influx of investments has significantly increased, doubling last year to $3 billion. In Kazakhstan, 23,000 Russian and joint companies are successfully operating, which constitutes almost half of all our enterprises with foreign participation," Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said.

In his speech, the Head of our State elaborated on the key issues of intersectoral interaction between the two countries. In his opinion, cooperation in the fuel and energy sector between Kazakhstan and Russia has reached a qualitatively new level.

"Together with Lukoil, we have begun developing the large offshore field 'Kalamkas-sea - Khasar'. The investment in the project will exceed $6 billion. Additionally, our Russian partners are actively participating in the implementation of projects in the petrochemical sector. In collaboration with Sibur, in 2022, we launched the largest polypropylene production plant in Central Asia, with a capacity of 500,000 tons per year. Today, this enterprise not only supplies raw materials to Kazakhstani processors but also exports products to Russia, China, Turkey, and other countries. In September of this year, construction began on a polyethylene production plant with a capacity of 1.2 million tons per year. Together with Tatneft, we are implementing a project for the production of butadiene with a capacity of 340,000 tons per year. Significant progress has also been made in the gas sector. For the first time, the transit of Russian gas to Uzbekistan has been launched through the territory of Kazakhstan. An agreement has been signed with Gazprom for the transit of Russian gas to Kyrgyzstan. Long-term supplies of Russian gas to Kazakhstan are being explored," Kassym-Jomart Tokayev stated.

He reported that a year ago, an intergovernmental agreement was signed on measures to ensure the parallel operation of the energy systems of Kazakhstan and Russia, the implementation of which will strengthen the foundation of partnership between the parties in the energy sector.

"Practical cooperation has been established on the construction of thermal power plants in the cities of Kokshetau, Semey, and Ust-Kamenogorsk. Our partnership in the field of renewable energy sources is also developing quite actively. With the participation of Russian partners, projects with a total capacity of 370 megawatts have already been implemented in Kazakhstan. Under the agreements reached, the launch of another gigawatt of clean energy generation is planned in the near future," Kassym-Jomart Tokayev added.

According to him, this year marks the fifth anniversary of the implementation of the Program for Joint Actions in the field of industrial cooperation. Within the framework of the program, 93 joint projects have been implemented with a total investment of nearly $18.5 billion, resulting in the creation of over 22,000 jobs.

"This year, with the participation of Tatneft, a tire manufacturing plant with a design capacity of 3.5 million units per year was launched in the city of Sarani. In cooperation with KamAZ, the localization of manufacturing of engineering equipment is being deepened. In October of this year, a large-scale project for the production of cast iron with a capacity of up to 40,000 tons per year was launched in Kostanay. Next year, the opening of a plant for the production of leading bridge components is expected. Currently, another 49 projects are being implemented with a total investment of more than $29.5 billion and the creation of about 20,000 jobs. For example, companies EuroChem and UralChem are implementing large-scale projects for the production of mineral fertilizers in the Zhambyl region," Kassym-Jomart Tokayev reported.

It was further noted that Kazakhstan and Russia have significant potential for expanding cooperation in the agro-industrial sector.

"This year, our agrarians harvested a record grain crop of nearly 27 million tons. This is particularly symbolic in the year marking the 70th anniversary of the beginning of the development of the Kazakh virgin lands. Furthermore, we have begun implementing a number of large-scale projects aimed at reducing dependence on imports for key food products. In the coming years, 116 modern dairy farms will be built, which will increase milk production by 600,000 tons. The commissioning of 29 poultry farms with a total capacity of over 220,000 tons of meat per year is also planned, as well as 11 egg-laying farms capable of producing 850 million eggs per year. In the agro-industrial sector, our countries possess truly colossal export potential. I am convinced that we should not compete with each other in the domestic market of the EAEU. This is obviously detrimental to integration. On the contrary, we can combine our efforts to become a key food hub for exporting agricultural products to third-country markets," Kassym-Jomart Tokayev asserted.

Another priority task identified by Kassym-Jomart Tokayev is to strengthen the transport and logistics framework across the entire Eurasian space. In his opinion, this holds strategic significance for both Kazakhstan and Russia. Our country intends to repair 11,000 kilometers and build over 5,000 kilometers of new railroads by 2030.

"An important priority for us is to create a network of modern multimodal centers and 'dry ports' abroad. One successful example of such cooperation was the construction of a new transport and logistics center at the Selyatino station on the territory of the Russian Federation. At the opposite end of the transit corridor, cargo collection will be carried out at the recently constructed Kazakh terminal in the Chinese city of Xi'an. This effectively creates key support points for a unified cargo transit system along the route China – Kazakhstan – Russia," Kassym-Jomart Tokayev explained.

The President also addressed issues related to the development of the tourism sector. He stated that Kazakhstan offers a visa-free regime for citizens of 86 countries and has direct air connections with 31 countries worldwide. Additionally, consistent measures are being taken to enhance transportation accessibility to key resort areas.

Kassym-Jomart Tokayev believes that joint efforts to expand trade and economic cooperation enable the parties to adapt to modern challenges and create a solid foundation for sustainable growth of the economies of both countries.

"It is essential to maintain the high level of our multifaceted interaction. It is important to continue working on simplifying cross-border procedures and eliminating trade and logistics barriers to create favorable conditions for Kazakhstani and Russian businesses. I am confident that the substantial package of agreements signed within the framework of the Forum, along with the specific initiatives expressed, will not only unveil significant potential for interregional cooperation but also provide a powerful impetus for the development of our countries' economies," Kassym-Jomart Tokayev stated.

At the plenary session of the XX Forum of Interregional Cooperation, speeches were also made by the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin, Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Dmitry Patrushev, and Deputy Prime Minister – Head of the Office of the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan Galymzhan Koishybaev.