Rustam Minnikhanov meets President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev

On 11 February in the Kazan Kremlin Tatarstan President Rustam Minnikhanov had a meeting with President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. 

In his welcoming speech, Minnikhanov said: “We highly appreciate your attention and possibility to develop cooperation with Kazakhstan within friendly Russia-Kazakhstan relations. Kazakhstan is our strategic partner and there are many agreements with your regions. Despite the pandemic our trade turnover has been about 60m dollars for two years. Nevertheless our potential is much higher”. 

He mentioned that more than 200 thousand Tatars live in Kazakhstan and feel themselves very comfortable there. “I am deeply grateful for support given to our compatriots”, Minnikhanov said. 
In addition Tatarstan President reminded that more than 1 500 students from Kazakhstan study in universities of the republic and expressed his interest in opening branches of Russian technical universities in Kazakhstan, which was what Kassym-Jomart Tokayev spoke about in Moscow on 10 February.

Our cooperation will continue in all spheres, Minnikhanov assured.

In his turn Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said that he was very glad to visit Tatarstan. “Yesterday I had nearly five hours long negotiations with Vladimir Putin and when we discussed continuing cooperation with Tatarstan, Vladimir Vladimirovich separately mentioned that your republic is one of the most dynamically developing regions of Russia”, the Kazakhstan President said. 

“It is my first trip to Kazan. I have visited a mosque and an Orthodox Cathedral – I am impressed. We can see how Tatarstan develops under your strong leadership”, he concluded. 

During the meeting heads of the KAMAZ Automaker, the Tatneft Oil Company and cabinet ministers reported about joint projects being implemented by Kazakhstan and Tatarstan. 

In the end of the meeting Rustam Minnikhanov handed in the President of Kazastan a state award of Tatarstan –“Duslyk” order for a substantial contribution into the development of cooperation between Kazakhstan and Tatarstan and strengthening friendship and mutual understanding between two peoples.