The Ambassador of Greece completes his diplomatic mission in Kazakhstan

NUR-SULTAN, July 28, 2019 — Foreign Minister Beibut Atamkulov received the Ambassador of Greece, Alexandros Katranisto, to mark the completion of the Greek diplomat’s mission in the Republic of Kazakhstan. During the meeting, the Minister thanked Mr.Katranis for his significant contribution towards strengthening bilateral relations and presented him with a memorable gift.

Appreciation was expressed to Greece for supporting Kazakhstan’s international initiatives, as well as the intention to further develop mutually beneficial cooperation in the international arena.

The Foreign Minister noted that Greece is an important partner of Kazakhstan in Southern Europe. He congratulated the electing of new Greek Parliament and Government and expressed hope for further fruitful development of bilateral cooperation.

The parties noted the need to expand the legal framework and identify new promising areas of work within the current Intergovernmental Commission on Economic and Technological Cooperation.

The Ambassador of Greece thanked the leadership of Kazakhstan for effective interaction and support in strengthening cooperation between Kazakhstan and Greece.

The Minister wished the Greek colleague success in the future, saying that Mr. Katranis will always be a welcome guest in our country.

Diplomatic relations between Kazakhstan and Greece were established on October 1, 1992. In 2018, Kazakhstan’s foreign trade turnover with Greece totaled $1.2 billion ($1.1 billion in export and $19.3 million in import).

In the 1930s and 1940s, Kazakhstan took in thousands of repressed Greeks. Their descendants represent the Greek diaspora in Kazakhstan, today numbering around ten thousand people.