President Nursultan Nazarbayev Meets Federal Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel Who Arrives in Kazakhstan for Official Visit.

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Following the official welcome ceremony, the talks in narrow and expanded formats were held at Akorda. Nursultan Nazarbayev and Angela Merkel discussed prospects for expanding Kazak-German trade and economic, cultural and humanitarian cooperation.

The counterparts emphasized that the two countries maintain a high-level intensive political dialogue. For the last five years it is the fifth meeting of the head of state with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

A solid contractual and legal framework has been established between Kazakhstan and Germany. The volume of mutual trade has steadily increased. The joint investment projects are actively under way. The cooperation in the cultural and humanitarian spheres is being expanded. In particular, the Year of Kazakhstan in Germany 2009, a first large-scale presentation of Kazakhstan in western European countries, has been successfully held. The Year of Germany in Kazakhstan 2010 is being conducting this year.

Despite the effects of the global financial and economic crisis, over the last year the volume of mutual trade turnover exceeded US$ 2.9 billion and accounted for US$ 1.5 billion in the first six months of 2010. There are 800 Kazakh-German companies currently working in Kazakhstan. The gross inflow of German investment to Kazakhstan's economy reached about US$ 3 billion. In turn, Kazakhstan invested more than US$ 4 billion in the German economy.

The opportunities on enhancing involvement of German companies in the State Forced Industrial Development Program were discussed in the course of the talks. The agreements on the development of mutually beneficial collaboration in metallurgy industry, engineering, agriculture, transport, telecommunications, research and peaceful use of outer space, retraining of top economic managers has been achieved.

The sides also discussed the issues on global politics. Nursultan Nazarbayev and Angela Merkel discussed the issues on stabilization of the situation in Kyrgyzstan, rehabilitation of Afghanistan as well as the topical issues on international security and regional stability. It was noted that Astana and Berlin share similar positions on current pressing problems of global politics.

The Germany considers Kazakhstan as an anchor of stability and development in the region and supports Kazakhstan's initiatives in the framework of Kazakhstan's OSCE Chairmanship and in forging inter-religious and inter-confessional dialogue.

In turn, Kazakhstan considers Germany as key partner in realization of the State Program the "The Path to Europe." The main objective is to transfer the collaboration between Kazakhstan and the EU to a new level of strategic partnership, and to attract European modern technologies and management experience.

A range of intergovernmental and interagency documents has been signed during the visit of the Federal Chancellor of Germany.

Following the talks, Nursultan Nazarbayev and Angela Merkel held a joint press conference.