Kazakhstan, Israel to step up agricultural cooperation

ASTANA. KAZINFORM - Kazakhstan and Israel will sign the intergovernmental agreement on cooperation in the sphere of agriculture, President Nursultan Nazarbayev said during the bilateral meeting with Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu in Astana, Kazinform correspondent reports.

"Our bilateral relations are based on interaction and development of trade, economic and investment cooperation," Nursultan Nazarbayev said during the meeting in the Akorda presidential residence.

The Head of State added that 270 enterprises with Israeli capital contribute to strengthening of trade and economic cooperation between Kazakhstan and Israel.

"Today we've already discussed a wide range of issues of bilateral cooperation - economy, investment, politics and fight on terrorism. Your visit and the business forum [Kazakhstan-Israel Business Forum] will hopefully help expand our business ties and lift bilateral cooperation to a brand new level," President Nazarbayev told Benjamin Netanyahu.

Nursultan Nazarbayev also stressed that Kazakhstan wants to diversify partnership with Israel.

"Agriculture is our key touch point as I've already told you. We have unique conditions to develop agricultural business and Israel, in turn, has advanced technologies in that respect. A joint commission will be formed and a treaty will be mapped out to this end," said the Kazakh President adding that Kazakhstan would like to adopt Israel's best practices in processing and cost-effective irrigation of land.