Opening the meeting, Nursultan Nazarbayev noted that the negotiations with the Japanese side in a narrow and expanded format were fruitful. The parties discussed a wide range of issues regarding bilateral relations, regional and international issues.
The President also stressed that Japan is rightly considered as a high-tech power.
“The country ranks third in the world in terms of GDP, holding the fourth position in export and the 10th in the human development index. Kazakhstan and Japan - are strategic partners, we have established economic ties at a very high level. Trade between our countries over the last seven years amounted to about 10 billion dollars. Today in Kazakhstan there are 50 enterprises with participation of Japanese capital, including Toyota, Marubeni and others,” he said.
The President of Kazakhstan noted that currently investment projects worth about 72 million dollars are being negotiated.
“Among them, ethanol production, creating a center for cancer diagnosis, production of the new model of Toyota, construction of the terminal and others. We appreciate your attitude to further partnership and mutual investment in our country. Nuclear energy remains an important area of our cooperation. We are interested in deliveries of enriched uranium products to the world market, including to Japan,” he said.
In conclusion, the President expressed his confidence that the business meetings and forums of the kind will become a good platform for new contracts between enterprises of the two countries.
Prime Minister of Japan, in turn, congratulated the participants of the forum with the opening of the event. Abe noted that the ongoing diversification of Kazakhstan’s economy, development of small and medium-sized businesses, and creation of a favorable investment climate are a good basis for the development of bilateral partnership. Japanese companies have good experience in building plants abroad, thus contributing to the increase in the number of jobs and training of qualified personnel.
