Moscow, 14 January 2022 (TDI): Russian Prime Minister, Mikhail Mishustin, had a telephonic call with the Prime Minister of Kazakhstan, Alikhan Smailov, on 11 January. Mikhail Mishustin extended a greeting to Alikhan Smailov for being his appointment as Prime Minister.
Moreover, both sides expressed their mutual readiness to strengthen bilateral and multilateral strategic partnerships. Prime Minister of Kazakhstan emphasized that his government will deepen the dialogue formula to strengthen the bilateral relationship.
This will ultimately enhance the strategic ties between these countries. The agenda of economic interaction in the context of EAEU (Eurasian Economic Union) was also an important topic for discussion to ensure better prospects.
It is important to mention that Russia is one of the vital trade partners of Kazakhstan. Last year’s statistical data show that two-way trade between them reached up to $ 20 billion,
approximately. In this regard, this telephonic conversation was a foremost priority to ensure the strengthened foreign policy and the whole spectrum of positive
diplomacy.
ALIKHAN SMAILOV’S BACKGROUND
Alikhan Smailov was born in 1972 in Almaty. He graduated from the Al-Farabi Kazakh State National University in 1994 and the Kazakhstan Institute of Management, Economics and Forecasting under the President of Kazakhstan in 1996.
He worked as Deputy Chairman of the Committee for Statistics and Analysis of the Agency for Statistical Planning and Reforms; and also as State Inspector of the Presidential Administration, as well as Head of the KazAgro National Holding.
He chaired the National Agency of Statistics. Smailov had been an Assistant to the President over the years. During his career, he was twice appointed as Vice-Minister of Finance.
Moreover, Smailov became the First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance in 2019. He was re-appointed as First Deputy Prime Minister in 2019 and 2021. This year, he served as the acting Prime Minister after the government resigned due to the protests followed by the uprising.
RUSSIA-KAZAKHSTAN DIPLOMATIC RELATIONSÂ
Russia has an embassy in Nur-Sultan and consulates in Almaty and Oral. On the other side, Kazakhstan has an embassy in Moscow, a consulate-general in Saint Petersburg, Astrakhan, and Omsk.
Furthermore, both are founding members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the Collective Security Treaty Organization; and are additionally part of the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council and the Commonwealth of Independent States.
Kazakhstan and Russia were founding members of the Eurasian Economic Union with Belarus. Moreover, both are military and political allies and enjoy strong relations, that they keep strengthening over the years.
