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ASTANA. April 8. KAZINFORM : India
on Monday sought Kazakhstan's help to ensure its energy
security as the two countries agreed to enhance bilateral
trade and economic cooperation.
"We held discussions on means of increasing bilateral trade
and expanding the areas of economic cooperation, particularly
in the hydrocarbon sector," Vice President Hamid Ansari said
after delegation level talks with his Kazak counterpart Kassym
Jomart Tokayev here.
The parleys saw Kazakhstan extending its support for India's
membership in an extended UN Security Council [UNSC] with
Tokayev hailing New Delhi as a "reliable partner" of Astana in
international forums.
Kazakhstan, the biggest of the Commonwealth of Independent
States countries after Russia, is among the top ten countries
in terms of hydrocarbon energy reserves as also mineral
resources including uranium.
The Kazak leader said the two sides had reached an agreement
on setting up a friendship group.
Kazakhstan has been consistently supporting India's
representation in an expanded UNSC.
"Greater economic engagement between India and the countries
of the Central Asian region is not only mutually beneficial
for the countries but also for the whole region and the
world," Ansari, who also met Kazakhstan Prime Minister Karim K
Massimov, said addressing the Kazakhstan senate.
Describing Central Asia as "our extended neighbourhood", he
said with the economies of India and Kazakhstan registering
impressive growth, there are "wide ranging opportunities" to
expand areas of economic cooperation.
The vice president also expressed India's readiness to
cooperate in the higher education sector by sending Indian
professionals here and training Kazakh students and
professionals in various disciplines in India.
Welcoming Ansari, who arrived here last night on a four-day
visit, Tokayev noted that India is one of the fastest growing
economies and Kazakhstan wanted greater cooperation with it.
With the spectre of terrorism also haunting the Central Asian
region, Ansari told the Senate that India's accommodative
pluralism has greatly contributed to stability and development
when multiculturalism has come under strain in many parts of
the world.
Ansari will be holding talks with Kazak President Nursultan
Nazarbayev Tuesday.
The vice president earlier concluded a three-day visit to
Turkmenistan during which the two countries signed a
Memorandum of Understanding on facilitating cooperation in the
oil and gas sector, Kazinform refers to PTI news agency, New
Delhi.
Source: Kazinform |