Enhancing Kazakhstan – Vietnam relations

A delegation of the Mazhilis (lower house) of the Parliament of Kazakhstan, led by its Chairman Nurlan Nigmatulin, is paying an official visit to Vietnam at the invitation of Chairwoman of the National Assembly (NA) Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan. On the occasion, Kazakh Ambassador to Vietnam Yerlan Baizhanov wrote an article on the visit and the bilateral ties.

A corner of Nur-Sultan, the capital city of Kazakhstan
A corner of Nur-Sultan, the capital city of Kazakhstan

He wrote that regular exchanges of high-ranking delegations reflects the political trust between Kazakhstan and Vietnam. This autumn alone has seen visits made by several Vietnamese high-ranking delegations to Nur-Sultan, the capital city of Kazakhstan.

They included a delegation of the Communist Party of Vietnam led by Politburo member, Secretary of the Party Central Committee (PCC) and Head of PCC’s Commission for Information and Education, Vo Van Thuong; and a delegation of the Vietnamese NA lead by Politburo member, NA Vice Chairwoman Tong Thi Phong to attend the fourth Meeting of Speakers of Eurasian Countries’ Parliaments (MSEAP 4).

In addition, the two countries recently held the ninth meeting of the Vietnam-Kazakhstan Intergovernmental Committee for Economic-Trade and Science-Technology Cooperation.

The official visit to Vietnam of Chairman of the Mazhilis of the Parliament of Kazakhstan Nurlan Nigmatulin was made following the Kazakh visit of NA Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan in 2017 with an aim to confirm the importance of the bilateral agenda.

Regarding cooperation between the two legislatures, the two sides plan to exchange practical working experience in this field, which plays an important role at a time when the two countries are actively promoting their economic development.

The two sides will also discuss international politics. The two countries have shared similarities in foreign policy as both Kazakhstan and Vietnam declare the principles of multilateralism and openness in their foreign policies, targeting equal and mutually-beneficial relations. The two countries both have developed policies for peace.

Vietnam has shown support for Kazakhstan’s international initiatives of on nuclear-test-ban and prohibition of nuclear weapons. Vietnam also participates in Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) and the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions, which was initiated by Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbaev.

The balanced and responsible policies of Vietnam and Kazakhstan have gained the trust of many countries, providing a foundation for promoting economic and trade cooperation with foreign partners. The implementation of the Vietnam - Eurasian Economic Union Free Trade Agreement (EAEU), which took effect in 2016, has contributed to boosting the two-way trade turnover.

The bilateral industrial cooperation and investment has also witnessed encouraging outcomes. Vietnamese companies who are operating in Kazakhstan have opened up a large market for Vietnamese businesses and theirs partners in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and other countries in the region. Moreover, Kazakhstan also has a favorable investment environment. Potential sectors for investment in Kazakhstan include the clothing, footwear and food industries, which are the strengths of Vietnamese businesses.

Within the framework of his visit, Chairman of the Mazhilis of the Parliament of Kazakhstan Nurlan Nigmatulin will deliver a lecture to students at Hanoi University, during which he will brief the audience on the history of Kazakhstan, helping young Vietnamese people to understand more about the country and culture of Kazakhstan.

Cooperation in a number of potential areas will also be touched upon on the occasion, including the launching of direct air routes, visa exemptions, education and tourism.

Concluding the article, the Ambassador expressed his belief that the exchanges between the lower house of the Parliament of Kazakhstan and the Vietnamese NA will contribute to boosting cooperation and traditional friendship between the two countries.