President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev: Mr Putin, members of the Russian delegation,
I would like to once again warmly welcome you to our capital on the occasion of this state visit, which is of exceptional importance for the further advancement and development of our strategic partnership and allied relations.
We have just held a meeting and negotiations in a restricted format. We agreed that there are no problematic issues on the agenda – this, of course, is the result of our joint work in a working format. We can confirm that the key agreements to be signed and concluded have been properly prepared.
I regard your visit as confirmation of the special nature of the relations between our countries and our firm commitment to further developing them in the spirit of a comprehensive strategic partnership and alliance. I will not conceal that, for Kazakhstan, friendly and close ties with Russia are of paramount importance – and you understand this well, as do we.
Thanks to our joint efforts, bilateral cooperation continues to develop confidently across all areas without exception and serves, one might say, as a model example of interstate relations.
As I have already mentioned, we held highly productive talks in a restricted format and reaffirmed our mutual commitment to strengthening our multifaceted partnership. There are no so-called contentious issues between our countries. There is positive momentum, and we continue to steadily develop cooperation, enriching it with new ideas and projects.
In this regard, I would like to highlight the great significance of the Joint Statement on the Seven Foundations of Friendship and Neighbourliness between the Peoples of Kazakhstan and Russia, adopted today. This document reflects the spirit of our relations and enshrines our shared commitment to deepening them on a solid and long-term basis, which is of great importance.
I am very pleased to note that, despite the challenging global situation, our cooperation, particularly in the economic sphere, is developing successfully. Trade continues to grow, as we were pleased to discuss during our meeting in a restricted format.
It is extremely important that mutual visits between our regions have become more frequent and that the Interregional Cooperation Forum has become a well-established tradition. As far as I understand, the next forum will be held in Omsk. I have been informed that the tentative date is August 20, which is quite suitable for me and my colleagues. I believe we could hold the Interregional Cooperation Forum in Omsk on that date.
As for mutual trade, I am confident that it will soon surpass the significant milestone of $30 billion. It is particularly important that Russia remains the largest investor in Kazakhstan’s economy among all countries represented here.
Kazakhstani investments in the Russian economy have exceeded $29 billion, which is a highly respectable figure, a strong indicator, and, of course, the result of the joint efforts of our administrations and governments. As we agreed, this work will continue successfully.
To date, we have a pool of 177 joint projects with a total investment of nearly $53 billion. I would like to note that 122 of these projects have entered the operational cycle, which means that they have been implemented and are working. This is very important for demonstrating mutual readiness to boost our cooperation, which meets the fundamental interests of our countries and is supported by the people.
I would like to make special mention of our cultural and humanitarian cooperation, which we discussed today as well. Our countries are successfully interacting in education, science, culture and sport, which certainly helps bring our peoples closer together.
The Days of Russian Culture in Kazakhstan, which have recently ended in Astana, were enthusiastically received by the residents and guests of our capital. The unveiling of the Alley of Eternal Friendship of Kazakhstan and Russia in Astana and the Kazakhstan-Russia Friendship Square in Moscow last year were landmark events.
The 3rd Games of the Future, scheduled to be held in Astana, will help strengthen our humanitarian contacts, above all between our young people. They will open in late July and last almost to the end of August.
I would like to highlight the Sirius project in Kazakhstan. I am personally supporting it because I believe that it is extremely useful for training personnel for the future, so to speak. We will soon start building the necessary facilities in Almaty and Astana. I believe that we will move further in terms of geography and for improving this form of education.
I would like to express my gratitude to everyone on your side who is engaged in this project for their resolve, readiness to keep working, professionalism and a degree of flexibility, which is necessary for addressing some issues. It is an extremely ambitious project.
As for international contacts, we had a thorough exchange of views on this issue. We are interacting and cooperating on nearly all issues on the international agenda. I would like to point out that Kazakhstan and Russia are working together and quite fruitfully within the Central Asia-Russia format. I believe that this format will gain momentum in light of interest for Central Asia displayed throughout the world now. We also talked in substantial detail about this just now, expressing our views.
I would like to thank you for your article that was published ahead of your visit – this very interesting and substantive article was positively received by our public – in particular, for the key points concerning the internal political strategy of our country and everything that is being done in our country to strengthen our economic potential. I also want to say that Russia’s role in this is difficult to overstate.
I would like to express my gratitude to you for this state visit. It has attracted a great deal of attention both in our country, on the international stage, as far as I can see, and also from experts in international affairs. We will continue working to strengthen strategic partnership and allied relations between our countries.
President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Thank you very much.
Mr Tokayev,
Relations between Russia and Kazakhstan have been following an upward trajectory and are rapidly gaining traction based on the principles of equality and mutual respect.
During your state visit to Moscow last year, we adopted a Joint Statement proclaiming that our bilateral relations have reached the level of a comprehensive strategic partnership and alliance. This is true, as we have been working across all possible domains.
Of course, we were delighted to see you in Moscow during the May 9 celebrations marking the 81st anniversary of the Great Victory. We honour the battlefield feats of the frontline soldiers and the selfless dedication of homefront workers, all of whom made a decisive contribution to saving the world from Nazism.
We have a rich and packed agenda for this visit and have already started our work yesterday evening. This has continued during a restricted-format meeting. We will be adopting an important Joint Statement, as you have mentioned. It sets forth seven foundations of friendship and good-neighbourliness between the peoples of Russia and Kazakhstan.
We have also prepared a solid package of intergovernmental, inter-agency and private-sector agreements covering our cooperation in all its aspects, from the economy and energy to cultural and humanitarian projects. I am convinced that, as I just said, not only will all these documents be adopted, but they will also serve as a foundation for strengthening our cooperation at its core.
Russia is among Kazakhstan’s leading trade partners. Trade increased in 2025, as you and I have mentioned during the restricted-format meeting. There are 70 joint investment projects, and this is only the beginning. As for what we discussed and considering the excellent work by our teams to prepare today’s meeting, there are promising areas of cooperation that, will undoubtedly yield positive results.
You have already mentioned region-to-region cooperation, and I would like to confirm that. Interregional cooperation forums are held every year. Last November, Kazakhstan hosted the twenty-first such meeting. We have no doubt that the next forum, which, as you noted, will take place in Omsk on August 20, will have a significant impact. I have taken note of that as well, and I am confident it will be very productive.
We also discussed cultural and humanitarian cooperation, as well as projects in this area. In November 2025, the Days of Kazakhstani Culture were successfully held in Moscow. You have just mentioned the Days of Russian Culture. This is very important for cooperation, especially in the humanitarian sphere, which matters a great deal to us. People-to-people contacts are also very important. All of this strengthens our partnership.
Around 60,000 Kazakhstani citizens are currently studying at Russian universities. Branches of eight leading Russian higher education institutions are operating in the Republic.
I would particularly like to highlight the creation – at your initiative, Mr Tokayev – of an international organisation for the Russian language, which has already begun its statutory activities. I should also mention that yesterday, in a private, informal conversation, you mentioned this as well and offered some thoughts on how we could advance this work further. Once again, I heard some very useful initiatives from you. I want to thank you for that.
In international affairs, our joint work within the EAEU, the CSTO, the CIS, the SCO, BRICS, the UN, the Caspian Five, and the Russia-Central Asia format serves as a model of constructive interaction.
This year is marked by our countries holding parallel chairmanships in key CIS bodies: Russia chairing the Collective Security Treaty Organisation, with a summit scheduled in Moscow for November this year, and Kazakhstan chairing the Eurasian Economic Union.
At the conclusion of this state visit, together with other leaders of the EAEU member states, we will take part in the summit events under your chairmanship. We highly appreciate the work done by our Kazakhstani partners in preparing the upcoming meeting of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council, where important decisions will be made to further deepen integration.
In short, our engagement is genuinely intensive across every area. And I want to thank you for the invitation. I have no doubt that our work will be highly beneficial for both sides.
Thank you very much.
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