Hanoi (VNA) – Chairwoman of the Vietnam National Assembly
Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan will pay an official visit to the Republic of Kazakhstan
from October 16-18, aiming to enhance cooperation between the two countries and
their legislative ties.
The visit will be made at the invitation of Chairman of the Senate of
the Parliament of Kazakhstan Kassym Zhomart Tokayev, and Chairman of the
Mazhilis (lower house) of the Parliament Nurlan Nigmatulin.
This is the first-ever visit to Kazakhstan by a Vietnamese National Assembly
head.
Over the years, high-ranking leaders of Vietnam and Kazakhstan have regularly
exchanged visits.
Both countries have affirmed their readiness to deepen ties between their
Parties and legislative bodies.
Vietnam has always paid heed to developing friendship with Kazakhstan and
considers it an important partner in Central Asia.
Kazakhstan has the largest area in Central Asia and a population of more than
16.6 million. The country is blessed with diverse natural resources and the
world’s eighth-largest oil reserve. The Caspian Sea of Kazakhstan itself boasts
deposits of eight billion tonnes of oil, ranks third in the world in chrome,
second in uranium, fourth in ore and tine, and eighth in gold and coal. This
gives great potential for economic cooperation between Vietnam and Kazakhstan,
especially in mining and oil and gas.
However, bilateral economic and trade ties still have untapped potential.
Vietnam and Kazakhstan are members of the Vietnam-Eurasian Free Trade Agreement
(Vietnam-EAEU FTA) which came into force in October 2016. The two countries
have also signed cooperation agreements in economy, trade and investment
promotion facilitation, along with a number of memoranda of understanding. The
documents include a pact between the Vietnam National Oil and Gas Group
(PetroVietnam) and State-owned oil and gas company of Kazakhstan (KazMunayGas), and another deal in mining and energy.
At the same times, the two sides have increased cultural exchanges, as
reflected by cultural days of Vietnam and Kazakhstan in the respective
countries.
Vietnamese and Kazakh legislative bodies have also maintained collaboration,
both bilaterally and multilaterally.
In 2013, the first Vietnamese NA delegation led Vice Chairman Uong Chu Luu visited
Kazakhstan. In 2015, the Chairman of the Mazhilis Kabibulla
Dzhakupov visited Vietnam and attended the 132nd General Assembly of
the Inter-Parliamentary Union. Vietnam and Kazakhstan also established a
friendship parliamentarians’ group to promote cooperation and exchange between
their parliamentarians.
The upcoming official visit to Kazakhstan by NA Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan
is expected to boost friendship and cooperation between the two countries, as
well as relations between the Communist Party of Vietnam and political parties
in the Kazakhstan Parliament, especially the Nur Otan Party and the Communist
People’s Party of Kazakhstan.
It is also hoped to foster bilateral partnerships in economy,
trade, investment, energy and culture-education.
During the visit, the two sides are scheduled to discuss
measures to maximise the Vietnam-EAEU FTA, and step up collaboration in
legislative activities.-VNA