'Qatar important political and economic partner of Kazakhstan in the Arab world'

Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Qatar Arman Issagaliyev said that the visit of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani to his country is extremely important for strengthening co-operation and bilateral relations between the two countries and for the implementation of the reached agreements. In an interview with Qatar News Agency (QNA), he said that in addition to the negotiations in narrow and expanded formats and a joint briefing for the media, the Amir will take part as a chief guest at the Astana International Forum, which will be held under the auspices of the President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on June 8-9 in Astana.He noted that this forum is being launched with the aim of uniting efforts to address key global challenges in an era of growing polarization and geopolitical division. It will become a platform for dialogue between high-ranking delegates of foreign governments, international organizations, business and academia in order to find ways to solve problems such as climate change, food shortages and energy security, he added.The envoy stressed that the state visit of His Highness the Amir last year opened a new page in Kazakh-Qatari relations, saying that it can rightfully be called historic, since it paved the way for bringing co-operation to the level of strategic partnership in the near future. He added that the visit of His Highness the Amir will be an important impetus for the implementation of the agreements signed during the previous visit of His Highness, expanding co-operation in almost all areas.He also pointed out that Kazakhstan and Qatar have established close co-operation within the framework of international and regional organizations, highlighting Qatar's support for all international initiatives of Kazakhstan, including the convening of the CICA, the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions, as well as the creation of the Islamic Organization for Food Security.He stressed that Qatar plays an active role in the work of the CICA, taking part in all its events at the highest level and making voluntary contributions. "We are extremely grateful to His Highness the Amir for supporting the transformation of the CICA into an international organization. We believe that the transformation of the forum into an organization is of particular relevance and importance for strengthening peace and stability in Asia." The talks will touch upon the Islamic Organization for Food Security, which includes 37 countries with a combined population of about 1.4bn people, he said, adding that Qatar joined this organization in April 2016, and during this time, Qatar supported the activities of the IOFS in every possible way, as Qatari specialists actively participate in the implementation of such programs as 'Food Security Management', 'Development of halal food products', 'Development of national gene banks', 'International IFPA' and a number of other international initiatives.He said that the IOFS General Assembly will be held on the sidelines of the international Expo in Doha, where Qatar will assume the chairmanship of this organization. The ambassador of Kazakhstan noted the growing mutual interest in cooperation between the two fraternal countries, adding, "Qatar is an important political and economic partner of Kazakhstan in the Arab world. And the main impulses in strengthening relations are contacts between the leaders of our countries.""By the end of 2022, the volume of Qatari investments in our economy has increased 3 times. We are interested in using all available opportunities to further expand the investment partnership. Kazakhstan has all the necessary factors of attractiveness for Qatari business various tax and customs benefits are provided for investors. There are prospects for cooperation in the educational, cultural, banking and agro-industrial sectors," he said.He pointed out that tours to Kazakhstan have become very popular among Qataris and foreigners living in Qatar, while Qatar is also becoming a very attractive tourist destination in his country, especially after Qatar Airways increased direct flights to Almaty to 7 per week and the decision to open direct flights to Astana in mid-2023. For its part, the Kazakh companies "Fly Arystan" and "Scat" have opened direct commercial charter flights to Doha since the beginning of 2023, he said, noting that thanks to these important steps, coupled with the mutual abolition of the visa regime, the trade, economic and business ties, as well as tourism potential have received a powerful boost.The Kazakh delegation headed by Deputy Prime Minister S. Zhumangarin plans to arrive in Doha for the 6th meeting of the IGC in September this year, which will provide an opportunity to develop concrete proposals and form a roadmap for further development of cooperation in all areas.The Ambassador spoke about the volume of trade between Kazakhstan and Qatar which has shown growth in recent years, adding that there are efforts to increase the turnover of goods, and since last year they have been supplying agricultural products to Qatar, including meat and sausages. In the future, they plan to increase the export of Kazakh products to Qatar by 60 commodity items at a value of $243mn.On the State of Qatar's role within regional and international framework, he said, "Qatar has become an important player in resolving the most acute problems of international relations, such as the ceasefire agreement between the Palestinian and Israeli sides," noting how Qatar is determined to support the Afghan people and provide supportive measures to Afghanistan to overcome the economic and humanitarian crisis.He added that Qatar has experience in successful mediation, such as the Dahin Peace Agreement on Darfur, and saving Lebanon from the brink of civil war, in addition to its role in resolving the border dispute between Djibouti and Eritrea, and many others.He also hailed Qatar's humanitarian role and the assistance it provides to many countries, saying "we highly appreciate Qatar's assistance to the Republic of Sudan in the form of sending 15 tons of medical cargo and assistance to Turkey and Syria affected by earthquakes. We will never forget Qatar's humanitarian aid to our country during the Covid-19 pandemic," as well as the construction of a school named after His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani in Astana and the construction of a perinatal center in Almaty region.