Tokayev: Finnish President’s Visit to Kazakhstan to Open New Cooperation Opportunities

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has emphasized that the official visit of Finnish President Alexander Stubb to Kazakhstan is set to give a fresh momentum to the countries’ cooperation.

“Your visit is of particular importance - this is a crucial and, in many ways, groundbreaking event that will give new impetus to the development of bilateral ties. Kazakhstan and Finland have established strong traditions of friendship and cooperation. We have no unresolved issues, and the potential for cooperation in investment and trade is far from exhausted. I believe that holding the business forum organized at your initiative is of great importance. I will also participate in it this afternoon. I hope it will inspire entrepreneurs from our countries to develop business ties. Furthermore, we maintain high-level humanitarian contacts. In general, Finland is very popular in Kazakhstan - our people respect your country, its culture, and traditions. Many Kazakh tourists enjoy visiting Finland. I am confident that your visit will open new opportunities for strengthening the partnership between our states,” President Tokayev said, The Caspian Post reports via Kazakh media.

For his part, President Stubb noted that this marks his third visit to Kazakhstan, recalling his first meeting with Tokayev in 2008, when he was Finland’s Foreign Minister and Tokayev served as Speaker of the Senate.

“I suppose that today we will focus on two key areas. The first one is to develop our bilateral relations and business cooperation. I am accompanied by a large business delegation comprising of the representatives of more than 20 leading Finnish companies. It was nice to see familiar Finnish brands, such as Isku and Honkarakenne, on the streets of Astana. The second focus of our talks is foreign policy and security. We share many common interests, and we strive to find solutions to complex challenges,” President Stubb said.