Tokayev Highlights Strategic Partnership with Russia at Kazakhstan-Russia Interregional Cooperation Forum
Omsk, The Gulf Observer: President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev participated in the 22nd Forum of Interregional Cooperation between Kazakhstan and Russia, where he underscored the strength of bilateral ties and called for deeper collaboration in trade, logistics and regional development.
The forum brought together President Tokayev and Russian President Vladimir Putin during a plenary session held under the theme, “Building a Global Logistics Ecosystem: New Horizons for Russian-Kazakh Cooperation.”
In his opening remarks, President Tokayev thanked President Putin and the leadership of Russia’s Omsk region for preserving the memory of veterans of the Great Patriotic War, including his father, Kemel Tokayev, who received medical treatment in Omsk after sustaining severe injuries while serving with the Second Belorussian Front in Poland during World War II.
Highlighting the importance of regional engagement, Tokayev said practical cooperation between Kazakhstan’s and Russia’s regions adds tangible value to the bilateral agenda and serves as a driving force for the continued expansion of relations between the two neighboring countries.
“The relations between our countries have reached an unprecedentedly high level. This is the result of major efforts by the heads of state, governments, regional authorities and, of course, the parliaments of both countries,” the Kazakh President said.
Tokayev described his state visit to Russia in November last year and President Putin’s subsequent state visit to Kazakhstan in May this year as historic milestones that elevated bilateral cooperation.
He noted that agreements signed during those visits—including the Declaration on the Transition of Interstate Relations to a New Level of Strategic Partnership and Alliance and the Joint Statement on the Seven Pillars of Friendship and Good Neighborliness—have established a solid framework for long-term cooperation and shared development.
The Kazakh leader also emphasized that economic cooperation remains one of the cornerstones of bilateral relations, with Russia continuing to be one of Kazakhstan’s largest trading partners.
According to Tokayev, bilateral trade reached nearly US$28 billion last year and has continued to grow steadily. He said mutual trade increased by nearly 10 percent during the first five months of 2026 compared with the corresponding period last year, reflecting the continued expansion of economic ties between the two countries.
The forum serves as a key platform for strengthening interregional cooperation and advancing joint initiatives in logistics, trade, infrastructure and investment, reinforcing the strategic partnership between Kazakhstan and Russia.
