ASTANA, Kazakhstan, August 1. For the European
Union, Kazakhstan is an enormous stepping stone between East and
West, said Josep Borrell, the High Representative of the EU for
Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Trend reports via the European External Action
Service (EEAS).
His comment came during a press conference following his meeting
with Murat Nurtleu, the foreign minister of Kazakhstan.
“Kazakhstan has a strategic geographical position; it is a great
bridge between Europe and Asia. Under the leadership of President
[Kassym-Jomart] Tokayev, Kazakhstan has embarked on a path of
wide-ranging political and economic reforms that we support. We
support this path to modernization, where economic and political
reforms should go hand in hand,” he said.
Borrell noted that the EU is keen on getting down to brass tacks
and beefing up its collaboration with Kazakhstan.
“As my mandate representing the European Union will end in three
months, it was important for me to come here to Astana to reaffirm
our strong interest and commitment to strengthen [our] cooperation
with Central Asia as a whole and with Kazakhstan, the biggest
country in the region in particular,” he pointed out.
Earlier, Borrell held a meeting with the President of
Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Takoyev. During the meeting, the parties
discussed the prospects for cooperation between Kazakhstan and the
European Union. They also had a meeting of the minds on current
international issues and the importance of regional cooperation
among Central Asian countries.