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As part of the state visit by the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the Russian Federation, an extensive package of intergovernmental and interagency documents was signed. Vladimir Putin and Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed the Declaration on the Transition of Interstate Relations between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Kazakhstan to the Level of Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and Alliance.

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President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, friends,

We are delighted to welcome in the Kremlin the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan who is in Russia on a state visit.

Our talks were held in a business-like and constructive atmosphere and yielded tangible results which is fully consistent with the truly friendly and neighbourly relations between Russia and Kazakhstan. We had a detailed discussion on bilateral cooperation in all its aspects, and shared views on pressing regional and international matters.

The key outcome of the visit is the declaration on the transition of relations between Russia and Kazakhstan to an entirely new and more advanced level of comprehensive strategic partnership and alliance. Also, an extensive package of intergovernmental and interagency agreements and memorandums was signed laying out specific long-term provisions for joint effort in terms of security policy, trade, investment, culture and humanitarian affairs.

Obviously, economic ties were a priority of these talks. Last year, trade reached US$28.7 billion, which accounts for a fifth of Kazakhstan’s foreign trade.

For Russia, Kazakhstan is one of the biggest trade partners within the Commonwealth of Independent States and across the Eurasian space in general. Moreover, our mutual trade is structured in a way that enables us to constantly diversify it by increasing the share of non-primary goods. As for the share of national currencies in our mutual settlements, it already exceeds 96 percent, which enables us to make our business transactions immune to negative external impacts, including political factors.

Russia is a leading investor in Kazakhstan, with cumulative capital investments totalling approximately US$10 billion. Over 17,000 enterprises with Russian participation operate on the Kazakhstani market, and the two countries are implementing around 70 major joint projects across all key sectors of Kazakhstan’s economy.

Bilateral energy cooperation is steadily advancing. The majority of Kazakhstan’s oil exports transit through Russia, while Russian oil is shipped via Kazakhstan to markets in Asia.

In turn, Russia imports Kazakhstan’s coal, and the two nations have established mutual electricity supplies. Russia is also participating in modernising thermal and hydroelectric power facilities in Kazakhstan.

I should note that for many years, Gazprom has been stably supplying gas to consumers in Kazakhstan. Currently, opportunities are being explored to expand these supplies, particularly to the northern and eastern regions where Kazakhstan’s major industrial capacities are concentrated.

Companies from both countries are successfully collaborating on projects in the automotive industry, agriculture, agricultural engineering, and mineral fertiliser production. There are also plans under discussion to step up cooperation in the chemical industry and rare earth mining.

Russia and Kazakhstan are connected by a network of key Eurasian transport routes. Our countries are working to increase the capacity of automobile border crossings, while freight traffic by air and water is expanding, including across the Caspian Sea and along the Irtysh River.

Significant new prospects are emerging with the development of the International North-South Transport Corridor, which runs from Russia to the Indian Ocean. The eastern branch of this route crosses Kazakhstan before connecting to Turkmenistan and Iran.

Close cooperation continues in space research, including the joint operation of the Baikonur space centre. The Baiterek project, which envisions creating a new rocket and space complex for launches of the Russian Soyuz-5 vehicle, is underway, with its first launch expected before the end of this year.

Regional partnerships significantly contribute to the practical development of our bilateral ties. The 21^st Russia-Kazakhstan Interregional Cooperation Forum is currently being held in Uralsk. President Tokayev and I have just addressed the participants of its plenary session via videoconference. The forum focuses on the pressing issue of training professional, highly qualified personnel for various economic sectors. It brings together representatives from more than thirty Russian regions and their counterparts from across Kazakhstan.

It is also symbolic that the latest Kazakhstan Culture Days in Russia are currently taking place in Moscow. Tonight, the President of Kazakhstan and I will attend a gala concert of Kazakh artists on the historic stage of the Bolshoi Theatre.

In general, I would like to note that Russian-Kazakhstani humanitarian cooperation has traditionally been rich and dynamic. Our countries closely collaborate in science, education, and sports, as well as through social and youth exchanges. Approximately 55,000 citizens of Kazakhstan are studying in Russia, with half of them on government scholarships. Branches of many leading Russian universities, including Moscow State University and MGIMO University, are successfully operating in Kazakhstan.

It is gratifying that the Russian language continues to be widely and freely used in Kazakhstan. I would like to express my gratitude to the President of Kazakhstan for this. According to the Constitution, Russian enjoys official status, and its use in various spheres of life is supported by the country’s leadership.

For its part, Russia is assisting in the construction of new Russian-language schools in Kazakhstan and in improving the overall quality of Russian-language education. Three additional schools are to open soon in the cities of Kyzylorda, Taraz, and Turkestan, in southern Kazakhstan.

When discussing key international issues, we reaffirmed that our approaches are close on most of them. Our countries coordinate their positions at the United Nations and other multilateral forums.

Russia and Kazakhstan were among the founding members of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, and are both actively involved in their work. With Russia’s support, Kazakhstan was granted partner state status in BRICS at the 2024 summit in Kazan.

Naturally, we are also working together to advance integration within the Commonwealth of Independent States and the Eurasian Economic Union. The next meeting of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council, along with the now-traditional informal gathering of CIS leaders, is scheduled to take place in St Petersburg in late December. We certainly look forward to President Tokayev’s participation in these events too.

In conclusion, I would like to praise today’s talks. I am confident that their results will contribute to the further strengthening of the multifaceted Russia-Kazakhstan partnership for the benefit of our countries and peoples.

Thank you for your attention.

President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev: Mr President, colleagues, friends, members of the media,

First of all, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to President Vladimir Putin for his invitation to make a state visit to Russia and for the exceptional hospitality extended to us.

I believe this visit is of particular significance for the further strengthening of the strategic partnership and allied relations between our two countries.

The agreements we have reached today are a clear demonstration of the successful development of our multifaceted bilateral cooperation and the irreversible nature of this unique interaction.

In my view, the scale of comprehensive cooperation between the two leading states of the so-called post-Soviet space has, in essence, become an important element of the Eurasian security architecture – a concept currently under discussion and development by a number of interested states.

It is of critical importance that we are united by a shared history spanning centuries, active cultural and spiritual ties, common values, and similar approaches to contemporary challenges and future development. It is on such a solid foundation that the strategic partnership is dynamically advancing in all areas.

This year has been marked by a number of anniversary dates of immense significance for our peoples. We duly celebrated the 80^th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War, which served as a vivid testament to due respect we hold for the memory of the true heroes and patriots who demonstrated unprecedented unity in world history in defence of their Motherland and in the achievement of the Great Victory.

A landmark event was the 70^th anniversary of the legendary Baikonur Cosmodrome, a symbol of our longstanding scientific and technical cooperation in space exploration.

Another important milestone is the 20^th anniversary of the Treaty on the Kazakhstan-Russia State Border. The world’s longest land border, it stands as a striking symbol of our genuine neighbourly relations.

It is gratifying that our multifaceted cooperation is constantly enriched with new substance. Just now, President Vladimir Putin and I signed a Declaration on the transition of Kazakhstan-Russia relations to the level of comprehensive strategic partnership and alliance. This document is of historic significance, reflecting both the inviolability of mutual trust and the broad prospects for cooperation between our peoples.

In this context, I would like to express profound gratitude to Mr Putin for his personal contribution to strengthening our bilateral relations. In Kazakhstan, we know and respect the President of Russia as a statesman of global stature, whose name is recognised in all countries of the world and is perceived as a symbol of faith and will in defending the interests of the Russian people and the entire Russian state in this turbulent world.

Kazakhstan is genuinely interested in the prosperity of the Russian Federation.

I highly appreciate our talks. They have proceeded in an open and trust-based atmosphere and yielded practical results.

We have had a detailed discussion of the entire range of the bilateral and multilateral agendas and agreed to maintain intensive dialogue at all the levels.

We have given special attention to the development of industry, energy sector, transport, logistics, agriculture, high technologies, digitisation, humanitarian interaction, and implementation of new infrastructure projects.

We noted with satisfaction that, notwithstanding the complicated international situation, we actively develop our interaction and cooperation for the benefit of our peoples.

Russia is Kazakhstan’s key trade, economic and investment partner. The 2024 trade amounted to about US$28 billion, and in the eight months of this year it exceeded US$17 billion. We have set the goal of bringing the bilateral trade to US$30 billion.

The accumulated volume of direct Russian investments in the Kazakhstani economy has exceeded US$27 billion. In 2024, Russia became the largest investor in Kazakhstan by increasing its investments to the record US$4 billion. Kazakhstan’s investments in Russia are also rising, their total amount over 15 years has reached about US$9 billion.

More than 20,000 companies with Russian participation have been operating in Kazakhstan, which makes up almost a half of all businesses with foreign capital operating in our country. We are implementing 175 major joint projects. We have agreed to continue maintaining a high level of business contacts and create all necessary conditions for doing business. For this purpose, we have adopted a comprehensive programme of economic cooperation until 2030 and a corresponding plan of its implementation.

Strengthening of ties between the two countries’ regions plays an important role in developing trade and economic cooperation. We have just participated in the 21^st Russia-Kazakhstan Interregional Cooperation Forum held in Uralsk. The forum was dedicated to the topical issue of blue-collar professions. Supporting them is crucial for upgrading production facilities and for sustainable development of our economies in general.

The opening of Russia’s Consulate General in Aktau will also promote interregional ties. All the paperwork to this end has been finalised today.

We put a special focus on cooperation in the transit and transport sectors. We agreed to continue consistently expanding the capacity of projects such as the International North–South Transport Corridor, the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, and the Ayagoz–Bakhty and Dostyk–Moiynty railway lines, among others. We emphasised the importance of improving cross-border logistics infrastructure and streamlining procedures at border checkpoints.

We intend to continue our collaboration in advancing what I consider to be a highly promising initiative: the Trans-Altai Dialogue. This format is designed to become an effective platform to deepen cooperation between Kazakhstan, Russia, China, and Mongolia in the spirit of neighbourliness and mutual benefit.

We devoted considerable attention to energy issues. In recent years, significant progress has been achieved in this area. I would particularly like to highlight the productive cooperation with Rosatom, especially regarding the project to build the first nuclear power plant in our country. We agreed to strengthen our partnership in the production, transportation, and supply of oil, petroleum products, coal, and electricity. We also discussed in detail the prospects for gas cooperation, including gas supplies to Kazakhstan’s regions bordering Russia, as well as potential transit to third countries.

Economic ties between Kazakhstan and Russia continue to expand, driven by new opportunities for innovative growth. A number of documents signed during the visit will enable our countries to make significant progress in space exploration (as President Putin has just convincingly said), in nuclear energy, and in the development of special economic zones and creative industries.

Extensive opportunities are also emerging in the IT sector, where Kazakhstan has accumulated successful experience.

The cultural and humanitarian sphere, which plays a special role in bringing our peoples closer together, is gaining a more practical dimension. The number of joint events, such as tours, exhibitions, concerts, and sporting competitions, is steadily increasing.

The Days of Kazakhstan Culture in Russia were recently held with great success in Moscow. Earlier, Kazakhstan artists performed in Yakutsk and Kazan as part of these Days. In May, the Alley of Eternal Friendship between Kazakhstan and Russia was opened in Astana; yesterday, Kazakhstan-Russia Friendship Public Garden was inaugurated in Moscow.

In addition, a street in Moscow was named after Shoqan Walikhanov, a distinguished scholar, ethnographer, officer of the General Staff of the Russian Army, honorary member of the Imperial Russian Geographical Society, and close friend of the famous writer Fyodor Dostoevsky and renowned scientist Grigory Potanin. Such events are welcomed in our countries.

The planned opening of a Kazakh information and cultural centre in Moscow is of great significance in this regard.

I would also like to acknowledge the events organised as part of my state visit. The volunteer rally, the forum of young leaders, and the meetings of historians and political scientists all deserve high praise. Tonight, a concert by masters of the arts of Kazakhstan will be held at the Bolshoi Theatre.

All matters of cooperation in education and sport were discussed in detail. In Kazakhstan, nine branches of leading Russian universities are operating successfully, making a significant contribution to the training of highly qualified specialists.

This year saw the completion of work to open a branch of MGIMO in Astana and a branch of Al-Farabi Kazakh National University in Omsk. The possibility of establishing a representative office of a Russian medical university in our country is also under consideration.

In secondary education, there are over a thousand schools with Russian as the language of instruction in Kazakhstan, with one third of all students receiving their education in Russian.

Furthermore, joint projects for the construction of schools, which take into account the educational standards of both countries, are being implemented. In Almaty, with sponsorship backing, a branch of the renowned Russian Sirius school will be built.

Kazakhstan pays due attention to the promotion of Russian culture and language. The International Organisation for the Russian Language, established on Kazakhstan’s initiative, is intended to contribute to this important endeavour.

During our negotiations, we exchanged views on pressing regional and international issues. Kazakhstan and Russia actively and successfully cooperate on multilateral platforms. We confirmed our readiness for further close coordination of our efforts within the Eurasian Economic Union, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, the Commonwealth of Independent States, the Collective Security Treaty Organisation, and other multilateral structures.

Colleagues,

Today’s negotiations have confirmed a shared commitment to the further development of our strategic partnership. The potential of Kazakhstan-Russia relations is immense; there are no limits to our joint work.

At present, there are virtually no spheres in which our countries have failed to achieve constructive cooperation. There are no unmanageable issues between Kazakhstan and Russia. This is a vivid example of the high responsibility of both sides and their sincere readiness for joint work.

Once again, I wish to express my gratitude to the President of Russia for the substantive negotiations and for the traditional warmth and heartfelt hospitality. I am confident that our genuine neighbourliness will continue to guide us forward on the path of strategic partnership and allied relations.

Thank you for your attention.