European policy direction in advancement of Kazakhstan's national interests

Minsk, June 18, Khabar- An international conference entitled "The European Policy Direction in the Advancement of Kazakhstan's National Interests" involving Kazakh and Belarussian MPs and the CIS embassies in Minsk have tabled a programme entitled "A Way to Europe", which Kazakhstan devised ahead of taking the OSCE presidency.

The implementation of the programme will facilitate further cooperation between Kazakhstan and the countries of Europe. It is not by accident that Minsk was selected as the venue for the conference as the meeting focused on the prospects of relations between Kazakhstan and Europe in particular.

The meeting agenda included
cooperation in business, education and transport. The triple customs union of
Kazakhstan, Russia and Belarus sparked off heated debates but were closed by all the
participants concluding that they need to put their words into practice.

Bolat Iskakov, Kazakh ambassador to Belarus:

"In terms of the economy, this union will help to ensure transit between Belarus and
Kazakhstan. We haven't achieved even 2% of the turnover which goes to Europe from
Asia via the former Soviet countries. There is huge interest in the economic sphere".

The MP Konurbayev proposed re-starting student exchange schemes between Kazakh and
Belarusian universities. Belarus is said to have accepted the proposal.