On scheduled consultations between the structural divisions of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan and Russia

Moscow, June 3, 2021 – In accordance with the Action Plan for Cooperation between the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan and the Russian Federation for 2021-2022, consultations were held in Moscow between Erlan Shamishev, Director of the Department of Foreign Policy Analysis and Forecasting of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan, and Alexey Drobinin, Director of the Policy Planning Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia.

The parties thoroughly discussed current issues of international relations in the light of the coronavirus pandemic, as well as new geo-political and geo-economic realities. The sides exchanged views on the prospects for the development of integration associations with the participation of Kazakhstan and Russia within the framework of the EAEU, CSTO, CIS, SCO, and CICA.

The issues of the functioning of the strategic planning systems in the field of foreign policy of the Foreign Ministries of the two states, the prospects for joint activities in this direction were also discussed. The parties confirmed their intention to continue regular bilateral consultations on foreign policy planning issues.

Several separate meetings were also held within the framework of the expert dialogue with leading representatives of the Russian scientific community.

Within the framework of the visit, Erlan Shamishev held a meeting with the Vice Rector of the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration Andrey Margolin. The participants discussed the prospects for the development of integration processes within the framework of the EAEU, the integration of the initiative of the First President of Kazakhstan – Elbasy Nursultan Nazarbayev – "Three Dialogues" and the initiative of the President of  Russia, Vladimir Putin – "Great Eurasian Partnership".

During the conversation with the Director of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Alikber Alikberov, the sides discussed integration processes in Eurasia, regional security issues in the context of the withdrawal of the UN peacekeeping forces from Afghanistan, conceptual issues of Eurasian communications, and trends in the development of Central Asia.

Speaking about the role of religions in the public life of the region, Alikber Alikberov stressed the importance of the initiative of Elbasy on the dialogue of cultures within the framework of the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions. The experience of Kazakhstan, according to the academic, is also helpful for Russia, where the Congress of Inter-Ethnic Harmony is planned to be held in 2022.

Agreements were reached on the participation of Russian experts in various joint events and analytical projects within the framework of the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Kazakhstan and Russia.