Sri Lanka, Kazakhstan leaders meet :

New impetus to bilateral ties

Kazakhstan leader Noorsultan Nazarbayev stressing that President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s visit to Kazakhstan is of great importance, said the two countries have a good opportunity to exchange views on relevant issues and get to know each other better.

“We enjoy good relations of confidence and mutual understanding. I am confident this meeting will give a new impetus to cooperation between our states in various spheres- economy, politics, and culture,” President Nazarbayev said during bilateral discussions with President Rajapaksa in Astana on Tuesday to broaden the political and economic ties between the two countries.

The two leaders focused on enhancing bilateral relations in trade, investment, air, tourism, economic and technical cooperation.

President Rajapaksa’s three-day official visit to Kazakhstan at the invitation of President Nazarbayev coincides with the 20th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries. President Rajapaksa expressing his appreciation to President Nazarbayev on behalf of the Sri Lankan delegation for the warm welcome in Astana, said his visit will allow the two nations to outline the specific spheres for cooperation.

“It is extremely important for the business communities in our two countries to personally interact, in order to forge strong business links,” the President said.

The Kazakhstan President also invited Sri Lanka to the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA).

“We have agreed to cooperate under the SCO (Shanghai Corporation Organization) and other organisations. I have asked Sri Lanka to be an acting member of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA),” President Nazarbayev said.

President Rajapaksa said Sri Lanka decided to seek the observer’s status in CICA to start a closer cooperation in this framework for enhancement of interaction of Asian countries.

During the meeting, President Rajapaksa extended an invitation to President Nazarbayev to visit Sri Lanka. After the bilateral meeting the two countries signed an agreement on tourism cooperation.

Addressing the media following the meeting with the Sri Lankan President, the Kazakhstani leader said the two countries have decided to step up commercial and economic corporation. “In the course of negotiations, my colleague from Sri Lanka and I have agreed the existing level of commercial and economic relations does not comply with the potential the both countries have. So, we’ve decided to step up cooperation in this sector,” President Nazarbayev said.

He invited Sri Lankan businessmen to participate in the implementation of the State Programme of Accelerated Industrial and Innovative Development in Kazakhstan.

President Nazarbayev said the basic economic agreements on mutual protection of investments and avoidance of double taxation would be signed in the nearest future. Besides, an inter-governmental commission for development of cooperation between the two countries is to be set up.

President Rajapaksa while congratulating Kazakhstan on being elected to the UN Human Rights Council said Sri Lanka looks forward to engaging on issues within its framework. The President also pledged Sri Lanka’s strong support for Kazakhstan’s bid to host Expo 2017 in Astana at the elections to be held in Paris later this week.

“Hosting this exhibition is very much in tandem with Kazakhstan’s positioning and potential to be an economic hub in the Eurasian region,” he said.

Commencing direct charter flights between Almaty and Colombo through joint collaboration on ‘Luk Aero Air’ is undoubtedly a huge boost to increasing people to people to contact and business interaction, President Rajapaksa said.