Kazakh PM meets Turkmen President, partakes in CIS Heads of Government Council meeting
The sides discussed prospects for Kazakh-Turkmen cooperation in all areas of trade and economic relations.
The Prime Minister of Kazakhstan highlighted that bilateral relations between Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan are developing steadily.
"We see great importance in the deepening of trade and economic ties. Given the availability of transport infrastructure and a common border, there is a great potential for further strengthening of mutually beneficial cooperation," said Mamin.
During the negotiations, prospects for cooperation in the energy, space, agricultural sectors, the military-industrial complex, and the development of transport and transit corridors were noted.
"A common goal has been set to achieve a significant increase in the volume of mutual trade. Kazakhstan is ready to make every effort to accomplish this goal," said Askar Mamin.
In Ashgabat, Prime Minister Askar Mamin took part in the narrow and extended-format meetings of the CIS Council of the Heads of Government.
The Republic of Turkmenistan presides the Commonwealth in 2019.
Prime Ministers Dmitry Medvedev of the Russian Federation, Syarhey Rumas of Belarus, Novruz Mammadov of Azerbaijan, Kokhir Rasulzoda of Tajikistan, Abdulla Aripov of Uzbekistan, Deputy Prime Ministers Mher Grigoryan of Armenia and Zhenish Razakov of Kyrgyzstan.
In a narrow format, the Heads of Delegation exchanged views on topical issues of economic cooperation in the CIS and resolved a number of organizational issues.
Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Askar Mamin noted that for Kazakhstan the markets of the CIS countries are traditionally priority. The trade turnover between Kazakhstan and the states of the Commonwealth has a positive trend and, according to the results of 2018, amounted to $24.3 billion, an 8.4% increase.
In order to further integrate and strengthen trade and economic relations in the Commonwealth space, the importance of work to improve the regulatory framework was noted. The signing in the near future of the Agreement on free trade in services will increase the turnover of services to the CIS countries.
Askar Mamin, among the measures to enhance quality growth through the development of integration, called the pooling of efforts in cooperation of production capacities, increasing transport and logistics potential, forming a relevant digital agenda, developing human capital, improving the investment climate in the region.
The Executive Committee was invited to study these proposals in detail and to envisage them within the framework of the developed Concepts for the further development of the CIS and Economic Development Strategy up to 2030.
The main topics of the meeting were the development of innovative cooperation, protection of intellectual property rights, improving the efficiency of interaction in the transport and logistics and tourism sectors, the development of the digital economy, and the implementation of projects in the space industry.
Following the meetings of the Council, a number of documents were signed:
Agreement on the coordination of interstate relations in the field of basic research of the CIS member states:
- Agreement on cooperation of the CIS member states in the work of museums;
- Protocol on Amendments to the Agreement on the Rules for Determining the Country of Origin of Goods in the CIS of Nov. 20, 2009;
- Protocol on Amendments to the Agreement on the Procedure for Customs Clearance and Customs Control of Goods Moving Between the States Parties to the Agreement on the Establishment of a Free Trade Area, of Oct. 8, 1999;
- Protocol on Amendments to the Agreement on the Procedure for Transit through the Territories of the CIS Member States of June 4, 1999;
- Decision of the Council of the CIS Heads of Government of Sep. 28, 2001, on the Rules of Customs Control over the movement across the customs border of goods containing intellectual property items.
The next meeting of the CIS Council of Heads of Government under the Russian chairmanship will be held in the autumn of 2019 in Moscow.