ISTANBUL
Relations between Astana and Moscow have a decisive influence on many key processes across the Eurasian region, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said on Tuesday, ahead of his state visit to Russia where the two sides plan to sign a declaration elevating their ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership and alliance.
In an article published in Rossiyskaya Gazeta, Tokayev said Kazakhstan and Russia have managed to build a “meaningful strategic partnership and alliance,” and that their cooperation is based on “eternal friendship” and “deep trust, respect, and equality.”
He said the declaration to be signed in Moscow “will usher in a new era in bilateral relations,” confirming an “unprecedented level of mutual trust and shared commitment to closer cooperation in all areas.”
Tokayev also praised Russian President Vladimir Putin’s role in developing bilateral ties, saying he “enjoys unwavering respect as a global statesman” in Kazakhstan.
Highlighting growing economic and industrial links, the Kazakh leader said more than 170 joint projects worth over $50 billion are underway with major Russian firms such as Sibur, Gazprom, Lukoil, EuroChem, Tatneft, and KAMAZ.
He said energy and logistics cooperation remain central pillars of the partnership, citing ongoing efforts to modernize border crossings and expand transit corridors, including the North-South railway route linking Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Iran.
Tokayev also underscored the importance of linguistic and cultural cooperation, describing Russian as “an integral element” of Kazakhstan’s social and educational life and part of broader humanitarian ties that “strengthen dialogue and trust between peoples.”
Relations between Kazakhstan and Russia, he said, are “vibrant and dynamic, capable of flexibly responding to the challenges of the new era,” and will continue to serve as “a bulwark of creation, security, and cooperation for the entire continent.”
Kazakhstan, a former Soviet republic, and Russia are members of several Eurasian integration structures, including the Eurasian Economic Union and the Collective Security Treaty Organization, and have deep political and economic ties.