NEW DELHI : Kazakhstan will invite Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit the Central Asian nation in 2015 to further cement relations and strengthen trade and economic ties with India.
Mr Bulat Sarsenbayev, who recently took over as Kazakhstan’s new Ambassador to India, hoped that in the second half of 2015, Prime Minister Modi would visit the Central Asian nation to further strengthen bilateral ties which have been already established since the Soviet era.
“It will not just be a visit. Many things have to be prepared in various areas…Mr Modi’s visit will give further impetus to Kazakhstan-India ties,” Mr Sarsenbayev told UNI. However, so far there has not been any response from India, he said.
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj is also expected to visit Kazakhstan in the first quarter of 2015. Strongly pitching for enhanced trade ties between the two countries, Mr Sarsenbayev said he would focus mainly on developing economic cooperation as politically both countries do not have any problems.
Both countries are Strategic Partners and share similar approach on main international issues, providing political support to each other.
Inviting Indian businesses to invest in Kazakhstan, the Ambassador said Kazakhstan is ready to consider to provide tax holidays to investors in area of innovation.
He also welcomed India’s announcement of participation in the Expo 2017 in Astana and said it indicated that both countries were moving in the right direction in strengthening trade ties.
He said trade between India and Central Asia could expand considerably through the new railway route just completed from Kazakhstan (Uzen railway station) to Turkmenistan (Bereket railway station) then Iran (Gorgan railway station) and up to the Iranian sea port Bandarabas with distances and time being considerably reduced.
On air links between the two countries, he said Kazakhstan’s national carrier Air Astana was flying packed flights between the two countries seven days a week and this is one of the “most profitable” air routes for Air Astana.
Air India and Air Astana are considering operating jointly and both could sell each other’s tickets. (AGENCIES)
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