BRUSSELS.  June 1. KAZINFORM /Dimash Syzdykov/ Timeliness of anti-crisis measures allowed Kazakhstan minimizing the consequences of the crisis and its negative impact. European Commissioner for Economic and Financial Affairs Olli Rehn said it at meeting with Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Kazakhstan to Belgium and Luxembourg, Head of the Kazakh Mission to the EU and NATO Yerik Utembayev.

In the course of the meeting the Kazakh Diplomat informed the EU Commissioner of Kazakhstan's measures on fight with the global economic crisis, in particular, allocation of USD 14 bln from the country's National Fund which allowed creating 400, 000 new jobs and commissioning 170 new industrial projects.

Besides, the Ambassador noted that within the last seven years the EU had been the major trade partner of Kazakhstan. Bilateral goods turnover in 2009 made USD 28.8 bln. The share of the EU comprises 40% in the total volume of goods turnover of our country. In 1993-2009 Kazakhstan attracted direct foreign investments to the amount of USD 102.9 bln, more than half of them fall on the EU.

The volume of Kazakhstan's investments in economy of the EU hit USD 11 bln in 1994-2009. "In this view we see necessity of further development of the mutually beneficial dialogue which includes also creation of a platform of the Kazakh-EU cluster in all key directions of economy", Y. Utembayev said.

In turn, the EU Commissioner noted importance of enhancement of partnership relations with Kazakhstan and stressed that our country as a strategic partner of the EU in the region.