EU and Kazakhstan ties reach new orbit

BRUSSELS. July 25. KAZINFORM The 13th Session of Cooperation Council - the Republic of Kazakhstan - European Union was held on Wednesday in Brussels.

Kazakhstan's delegation was headed by Deputy Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Yerbol Orynbayev. Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Linas Antanas Linkevičius took part on behalf of Europe.

After the meeting the Deputy Prime Minister of Kazakhstan said a wide range of issues of bilateral and multilateral cooperation was considered together with the EU within further strengthening of cooperation. Besides, the sides exchanged their views on relevant international and regional situations.

"We have discussed a cooperation project on expansion of partnership between Kazakhstan and the EU. The EU backed Kazakhstan's concepts within a new form of this agreement," Y. Orynbayev told Kazakh mass media.

In addition, the head of the Kazakh delegation noted that Cooperation Council' s session held in Brussels laid a good foundation for fruitful negotiations scheduled on October in Astana city.

Besides, energy, civil aviation, trade, Kazkahstan's accession to the WTO and other issues of mutual interest were discussed at the meeting.

In turn, Linas Antanas Linkevičius noted that the EU is interested in further negotiations and the conclusion of a new agreement on enhanced partnership and cooperation between Kazakhstan and the EU.

The European side stressed the importance of implementation of the EU Strategy for Central Asia, and also welcomed the participation of the Republic of Kazakhstan in the EU regional initiatives in Central Asia.

The Ministrer of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania added the meeting considered the political interaction between Kazakhstan and the EU, supremacy of law and human rights, trade economic relationships and the regional cooperation in Central Asia.

The EU expressed support to Kazakhstan's accession to the WTO, which will remove the remaining barriers to trade, and to increase the growth of bilateral trade.

Besides, the importance of regional cooperation in Central Asia as an effective tool for conflict prevention and socio-economic development in the region were stressed at the meeting.