RUSSIA, February 1 - The conversation took place on the sidelines of the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council meeting.

Alihan Smailov: Mr Mishustin, colleagues.

We are pleased to welcome you to the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council meeting and to the digital forum in Almaty, which have become traditions at the beginning of the year.

This is our first meeting this year. Last year we celebrated the 10^th anniversary of signing the Treaty on Neighbourliness and Alliance in the 21^st Century.

Russia has been and remains a key strategic partner and a reliable friend to Kazakhstan. Thanks to the political will of the heads of our states, bilateral relations are developing progressively on the principles of neighbourliness and mutual respect.

President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev pays special attention to mutually beneficial and long-term cooperation with the Russian Federation. The official visit of the President of the Russian Federation, the esteemed Vladimir Putin, to Kazakhstan last year once again confirmed the allied nature of relations between our countries.

The top-level talks gave a powerful impetus to joint work across all areas of our multifaceted cooperation.

Russia is one of Kazakhstan’s main trade and economic partners. This is evidenced by the impressive volume of trade, which totaled $24 billion in the first 11 months of last year. It is important for us to further expand trade between our countries.

We pay special attention to the development of interregional and cross-border cooperation. The Interregional Cooperation Forum is an effective platform in this regard. The 19^th Forum was successfully held last year in Kostanay. The 20^th anniversary forum will be held in Russia, in Ufa, this autumn. This format proves effective from year to year.

I am confident that this year will be rich in terms of joint events and meetings at various levels.

Mr Mishustin, the Government of Kazakhstan is ready to promote full-scale and mutually beneficial cooperation in all areas.

Mikhail Mishustin:  Once again, I greet you, Mr Smailov, friends.

We traditionally start the new year with a visit to hospitable Almaty, and the Digital Almaty forum, an interesting event that presents innovative developments by our partners in the Eurasian space, other countries, SCO countries, and investors from Kazakhstan.

We are very pleased to be here, and I would like to thank you for your traditional hospitality and warm welcome.

I would like to take this opportunity to ask you to convey best wishes and kind words to President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev from President of Russia Vladimir Putin and, of course, from me.

Mr Smailov, you and I are in constant contact all the time. We resolve any issues of our cooperation or on the bilateral agenda promptly. And I want to assure you once again that strengthening relations with fraternal Kazakhstan is a priority for us. Our interaction is based on the principles of friendship, strategic partnership and alliance between our two fraternal peoples.

Despite the difficult situation in the world, as you mentioned, our trade and economic cooperation are developing successfully. In January-November, mutual trade totalled 2.3 trillion Russian roubles. The combined investments of Russian companies in Kazakhstan’s economy reached more than 1.5 trillion roubles. And this is without the capital investments that came through third countries.

We are cooperating on major investment projects in industry, auto assembly, energy, petrochemicals, transport infrastructure, the digital economy and many other areas.

We propose accelerating the construction of new production chains. The mutual complementarity of Russian and Kazakhstani economic, production and technological potential is a good basis for this.

We are also very actively developing interregional cooperation. The absolute majority of regions of the Russian Federation maintain economic and humanitarian ties with Kazakhstan.

This year we will hold the next Interregional Cooperation Forum in Ufa. I take this opportunity to invite all of you to attend.

We attach great importance to cultural and humanitarian cooperation. A legal framework has been created for the successful operation of Russian university branches in Kazakhstan. I would like to thank you, Mr Smailov, the leadership of Kazakhstan, and my colleagues for your caring attitude towards the Russian language, which is an instrument of inter-ethnic communication and helps strengthen contacts between our peoples.

Russia and Kazakhstan are accomplishing much within the Eurasian Economic Union. Last year Russia chaired the union. And this year Kazakhstan took over the chairmanship of the Eurasian Economic Commission.

We stand for the deepening of Eurasian economic integration, for the fullest utilisation of the opportunities for the development of our national economies and for raising the well-being of both the citizens of our states and the citizens of the entire five nations.

These goals are reflected in the Declaration on the Further Development of Economic Processes within the Eurasian Economic Union, which was adopted by the leaders of the five member states at the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council meeting on 25 December in St Petersburg.

Esteemed Mr Smailov, we have a broad agenda. I suggest moving on to the negotiations.