ISTANBUL

Kazakhstan and Vietnam on Monday signed 12 agreements to bolster bilateral relations.

This came during a three-day official visit by Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to the Vietnamese capital Hanoi.

According to a Kazakh presidency statement, Tokayev held talks with his Vietnamese counterpart Vo Van Thuong and said that his country pays “great attention to economic and political interaction between our countries.”

The meeting discussed the prospects for developing cooperation in “trade, economic, investment, energy, transport and logistics, agro-industrial, cultural and humanitarian spheres,” the statement said.

Tokayev noted that the bilateral trade between Kazakhstan and Vietnam has already reached $600 million in the first six months of 2023, adding that they plan to bring this figure to $1 billion by the end of the year.

Tokayev said he is confident that their talks will open “a new stage in the development of bilateral cooperation.”

For his part, Thuong said he appreciated the strengthening of cooperation between the two countries and expressed his intention to further bolster the partnership between Kazakhstan and Vietnam, according to the statement.

“I am sure that your first official visit to our country will create a new impetus to intensify traditionally friendly relations and successful multifaceted cooperation between the two countries … Vietnam attaches great importance to traditionally friendly relations with Kazakhstan and considers your country an important partner in Central Asia,” he added.

The statement also noted the signing of 12 agreements, among which include a joint action plan for the development of trade and economic cooperation between the countries between 2023 and 2025. The agreements also include subjects such as visa exemption, tourism, investment, energy, logistics, infrastructure and media.