Kazakhstan and Poland are focused on further strengthening trade and economic, cultural and educational cooperation, as well as contacts between citizens of the two countries. This was discussed at the meeting last week between Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Roman Vassilenko and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Poland Andrzej Papierz, who arrived in Almaty to take part in the 100th anniversary of the restoration of Polish statehood, the Kazakh Foreign Ministry reported.
During the meeting, the parties noted that regular visits at the highest level gave a strong impetus to the development of Kazakh-Polish relations. The state visit of President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev to Poland in August 2016, as well as the return state visit of President of Poland Andrzej Duda to Kazakhstan in September 2017, gave a significant boost to the development of relations, laying a solid foundation for strengthening further cooperation.
The sides discussed the upcoming 8th session of the Kazakh-Polish Intergovernmental Commission on Economic Cooperation scheduled for June 20, 2018 in Astana. It is expected that during the upcoming meeting the parties will discuss extension of cooperation in the fields of renewable energy, science and technology, agriculture and tourism.
Today more than 100 Polish companies operate in Kazakhstan, the largest one is POLPHARMA, whose head is a member of the Foreign Investors Council under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, as well as SELENA, which is actively investing in the Kazakh economy. The trade turnover between Kazakhstan and Poland in 2017 amounted to more than $900 million with an increase by 19 percent compared to 2016.
The sides also discussed development of cooperation in the field of education between Kazakhstan and Poland. About 800 Kazakh students study in Poland today.