There is immense cooperation potential for Cyprus and Kazakhstan, said on Thursday Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos, at the inauguration of the new consular office of the Republic of Kazakhstan in Nicosia. He also expressed his deep appreciation for Kazakhstan's principled stance on the Cyprus issue and referred to the signing of memoranda of cooperation between the two countries on aeronautical issues and tourism. In his introductory remarks, the Honorary Consul of Kazakhstan to Cyprus, George Lakkotrypis, said that the opening of the Kazakhstan Consular Office in Nicosia further strengthens the bond between the two countries and serves as a symbol of their commitment to enhancing cooperation in various fields, with this new diplomatic presence facilitating closer collaboration in the political, trade and economic spheres and also providing valuable consular services to citizens, fostering people to people exchanges and cultural understanding. He also noted that the EU is Kazakhstan's biggest overall trading partner, accounting for 39% of total Kazakh exports and representing almost 30% of its trade in 2021, while the EU is also the biggest foreign investor in Kazakhstan, providing more than 61 billion of total foreign direct investment in 2021, a 23% increase from the year before. He added that Kazakhstan is the first Central Asian country to sign an enhanced partnership and cooperation agreement with the European Union, which covers 29 areas of cooperation, including trade and economic relations, interactions in the field of transport, energy, climate change, space etc. In a similar fashion, Cyprus is among the leading investor countries in Kazakhstan, as over the past 10 years direct investment from Cyprus in Kazakhstan amounted to more than 4.4 billion, continued Lakkotrypis, adding that in May 2023, the first Kazakhstan-Cyprus Business Forum was held in Limassol with the aim of expanding dialogue and further strengthening bilateral relations, with over 100 attendants from government agencies and the private sector, while the two countries have also discussed plans for cooperation in 2023, including arranging political consultations, signing new agreements, as well as opening direct flights between the two countries. The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Cyprus, Costantinos Kombos, said for his part that the inauguration of the General Consulate of the Republic of Kazakhstan in Nicosia marks an important milestone in the forward-looking diplomatic relations between the Republic of Cyprus and the Republic of Kazakhstan, underscoring the mutual efforts and the profound significance that Cyprus jointly attaches to the bilateral relations. Despite the geographical distance between them, the two countries have long recognised the potential for enhanced collaboration, based on the shared values and the respect they both have for international law, continued the Foreign Minister, adding that the new consular office will serve as a nexus for strengthening ties, it will ensure an ever-closer collaboration in various fields and will also assist in promoting reciprocal business opportunities and in contributing to the interconnectivity of the two countries' diverse and multicultural societies. He added that the consular office also represents a practical step towards strengthening people-to-people connections and can foster economic, cultural and academic exchanges between the two countries and expressed his optimism that this important step will provide the impetus for the next goal, the opening of full-fledged diplomatic missions in both Nicosia and Astana in the very near future. Addressing George Lakkotrypis, Foreign Minister said that his dedication to the enhancement of the relations between the two countries has been of immense importance and that the task ahead now is to make the maximum and optimal use of the opportunity to further expand, but also deepen bilateral relations. 'We look forward to continuing the path that we embark upon by signing a memorandum of understanding between the aeronautical authorities of Cyprus and Kazakhstan in the months to come. This agreement will undoubtedly pave the way for increased air connectivity between our two countries. This would establish long-awaited direct connections which would have an immense potential not only to facilitate tourism and trade, but also to promote exchanges, thus, fostering a stronger bond between our peoples', he noted. He added that today, he will sign, on behalf the Deputy Minister of Tourism, together with Kazakhstan's Deputy Foreign Minister Roman Vassilenko, a Memorandum of Cooperation in the field of tourism, 'yet another important area which serves as a stepping stone in increasing our people-to-people interactions and raising awareness among our societies'. Kombos also expressed his deep appreciation for Kazakhstan's principled stance on the Cyprus issue and support for efforts to reach a lasting and comprehensive settlement, based exclusively on the relevant UN Security Council resolutions. 'Cyprus and Kazakhstan share common values and aspirations. We both understand the importance of international cooperation, peace and stability and have consistently supported each other on the international stage, within the United Nations, the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe and other international fora', he noted and went on to emphasise the vital role that Kazakhstan plays as a key partner of the European Union in Central Asia, as Kazakhstan was the first Central Asian country to sign an enhanced partnership and cooperation agreement with the EU in December 2015, and reiterated Cyprus' approach, in its capacity as EU Member State, towards the further enhancement of EU-Kazakhstan relations. 'There is immense potential for our two countries. We are witnessing today the opening of the consulate here in Nicosia. Let us celebrate the beginning of a new chapter in our diplomatic journey, one that promises to bring our countries and peoples closer together, by forging closer ties while promoting peace, prosperity and cooperation in our interconnected and ever-changing world', concluded the Foreign Minister. Deputy Foreign Minister of Kazakhstan Roman Vassilenko said in his address that Cyprus has made significant progress in its development as an independent state, in strengthening its political position on the global arena, as well as in ensuring social and economic development and well-being of its citizens. He added that the two countries are bound by strong bonds of friendship and cooperation, that the Kazakh government intends to continue high-level dialogue with Cyprus and the intensification of political contacts will provide a needed impetus to these relations and, in this regard, they attach great importance to the first ever political consultations that were planned to take place later on Thursday. 'Like Cyprus, Kazakhstan has established itself as a future-oriented state known for its internal stability, economic progress and responsible foreign policy, and consistent social, political and economic reforms remain the main focus of our government', noted Vassilenko and added that today the Kazakh people are on the path towards a just and fair Kazakhstan, where every citizen enjoys equal opportunities, rights and protection, with the idea of justice in public policy becoming the top priority. He added that in recent years, Kazakhstan has responded to the challenges of the times by doubling down on political, social and economic reforms, as well as by deepening its responsible engagement in international efforts to tackle the most pressing problems, holding a constitutional referendum, reforming the political system, and working to ensure a sustainable economic growth, while also recommitting to the fundamental principles of the UN Charter, including the respect for the territorial integrity of states, and launching initiatives, such as the Astana International Forum, in order to bring forward the voices of the middle powers. 'President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, in his recent state of the nation address, titled Economic Course of a New Kazakhstan, unveiled the comprehensive plans focused on economic reforms and the new economic course for our country, and these reforms will have vast implications for foreign investment and Kazakhstan's economic relations with other countries', stressed the Kazakh Deputy Foreign Minister, adding that among the key points are industrialization diversification, a move towards green energy, simplification of the tax code and a focus on transparency and fairness in government. 'Transformation carried out in our country creates good conditions for the intensification of fruitful cooperation between Kazakhstan and Cyprus. We can see how business ties have already strengthened considerably recently. Business fora held in Limassol and Almaty earlier this year became important events to strengthen business-to-business connections and investments have become an important area of our cooperation', stressed Vassilenko. He also noted that the investments from Cyprus to Kazakhstan over the past 10 years amounted to more than 4.4 billion U.S. dollars, with the EU being the largest investor in Kazakhstan, having invested 170 billion dollars in the years since its independence, adding that today there are about 300 companies, joint ventures or representative offices from Cyprus that work in Kazakhstan, "a huge and solid foundation upon which we can certainly build'. There are many plans ahead to intensify our cooperation for the benefit of the people of our two countries. We believe indeed that the opening of a direct flight in the future, on which we all need to work, as well as the regulation of the visa issues, could contribute to bringing our two countries even closer together', stressed Vassilenko and expressed his hope that the new Honorary Consul will help in achieving this goal and towards the further development of mutually beneficial relations between the two countries. In closing, the Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Cyprus, Satybaldy Burshakov, thanked George Lakkotrypis and Foreign Minister Kombos for attending the ceremony, wished for an enhanced cooperation and invited Lakkotrypis in the coming months to Kazakhstan in the framework of promoting bilateral relations.

Source: Cyprus News Agency