An official reception on the occasion of the Republic Day was held in Bern

Bern, October 26, 2023 – The Embassy of Kazakhstan in Switzerland held a reception on the occasion of the Republic Day at the cultural heritage of the city of Bern Bellevue Palace Hotel.

The event was attended by the leadership of the Swiss Foreign Ministry, representatives of government agencies, business and academic circles, expert and cultural communities, the diplomatic corps and international organizations, the media, as well as the Kazakh diaspora and compatriots living in various cantons of the Confederation.

In his welcoming speech, Ambassador Kairat Sarzhanov stressed the historical significance of the country's main holiday, the importance of ongoing structural transformations, including the main provisions of the address of President K.K.Tokayev to the people of Kazakhstan. He noted the dynamic development of Kazakh-Swiss cooperation in the political, trade, economic and humanitarian fields. The official visit of the Head of the Swiss Federal Department for Foreign Affairs I.Сassis to Kazakhstan this year and his meetings with the country's leadership confirmed the high level of political dialogue and interest in increasing economic cooperation. The Swiss Confederation continues to contribute to the economic development of Kazakhstan, remaining the third largest foreign investor in Kazakhstan with $2.8 billion FDI and $1.5 billion in trade turnover by the end of 2022. The establishment of contacts between the national agencies for official development assistance KazAID and SDC lays the foundation for the implementation of joint projects, including in the field of transboundary water resources management in Central Asia.

President of the International Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation Gunay Afandiyeva, who took part in the opening of the exhibition of petroglyphs, tamga and ancient Turkic writing, organized in addition to the reception, spoke about the activities and goals of the Foundation to popularize the centuries-old history and rich culture of the Turkic peoples. The guests were presented with various art objects and works by famous masters and experts of the Turkic countries.

The event was accompanied by a musical program of a Piano trio of Kazakh performers who presented such famous national works as «Gakku» and «Karlygash».