Kazakhstan–Russia relations
Diplomatic
relations between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Kazakhstan were
established on October 22, 1992. Bilateral relations and cooperation rest on a
framework of solid international treaty (more than 300 treaties and agreements
have been signed).
The
foundation of this framework are the following documents – Treaty on
Friendship, Co-operation and Mutual Assistance of May 25, 1992; Declaration on
Eternal Friendship and Alliance aimed for the XXI century of July 6, 1998. In
the course of the official visit of the President of the Russian Federation,
Vladimir Putin, to Kazakhstan on July 7, 2012, the Protocol on Amendments to
the Treaty on Friendship, Co-operation and Mutual Assistance of May 25, 1992
was signed (ratified by the parties in June 2013).
Intensive
political contacts, primarily summit contacts between the two countries have
been actively sustained. 15 summits and high-level meetings took place in 2012
(9 presidential summits, and 6 – prime-minister meetings).
The
meeting between the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation,
S.V.Lavrov, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Republic of Kazakhstan,
E.A.Idrisov, was held within the context of the latter’s official visit to
Moscow on January 25, 2013.
On
February 8, 2013 the meeting between the President of the Russian Federation,
V.V.Putin, and the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, N.A.Nazarbayev, was
held within the context of N.A.Nazarbayev’s working visit to Moscow.
On
May 29, 2013 the meeting between the President of the Russian Federation,
V.V.Putin, and the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, N.A.Nazarbayev,
took place on the sidelines of the highest-level session of Supreme Eurasian
Economic Council in Astana.
On
May, 31 2013 talks between the Chairman of the Government of the Russian
Federation, D.A.Medvedev, and the Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan,
S.N.Akhmetov, took place within the framework of the Council of Heads of CIS
States.
On
July 7, 2013 the meeting of the President of the Russian Federation, V.V.Putin,
and the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, N.A.Nazarbayev, was held as
part of the Russian President’s working visit to the Republic of Kazakhstan.
Summits
are held in the course of official CIS arrangements and other integration
frameworks. Phone conversations between the leaders of the two countries are
held on a regular basis. Contacts have been sustained at the highest level as
well as at the level of heads of executive authorities.
Accord
between, or similarity of Russian and Kazakhstani standing on major
international and regional problems creates a solid basis for international
cooperation, including at the United Nations and its specialized bodies, OSCE
and other international forums. There is close interrelation of the foreign
services of the two countries.
Parliamentary
contacts are permanently sustained.
In
2012, 5 meetings of Chairmen of Chambers of Parliaments of Russia and
Kazakhstan were held. Parliamentary contacts between the two countries have
been actively sustained in the current year.
On
April 10-12, 2013 talks were held between the Chairman of the Federal Assembly
State Duma of the Russian Federation, S.E.Naryshkin, and the Chairman of
Mazhilis of the Parliament of Republic of Kazakhstan, N.S.Nigmatulin, on “the
side-lines” of PA CSTO, IPA CIS and IPA EurAsES.
On
the 17th of June 2013 at the time of the official visit of the Chairman of
Mazhilis of the Parliament of Republic of Kazakhstan, N.S.Nigmatulin, to Moscow
he met with the Chairperson of Federation Council of Federal Assembly of the
Russian Federation, V.I.Matviyenko, and the Chairman of the Federal Assembly
State Duma of the Russian Federation, S.E.Naryshkin.
Bilateral
relations with Kazakhstan in the sphere of economy rest on the basis of the
Economic Co-operation Program for 2012-2020, signed on November 25, 2011 in
Astana.
According
to the Russian Federal Customs Service, the volume of mutual trade for 2012
increased by 8.5% compared to 2011, and reached 22.4 billion USD. Russian
supplies increased by 3.3% (up to 14.6 billion USD), whereas import from
Kazakhstan grew by 19.6% (up to 7.9 billion USD).
Within
the period of January-July 2013 the volume of mutual trade increased by 18.8%
reaching the figure of 13.1 billion USD, as compared to the corresponding
period of 2012. Russian supplies increased by 12.6% (up to 7.9 billion USD),
whereas import from Kazakhstan increased by 29.7% (up to 5.2 billion USD).
According
to the Russian Federal Customs Service statistics of 2012/January-July2013, the
majority of Russia’s supply structure to Kazakhstan consisted of mineral
products 38.6% / 37.0%; machines and equipment, vehicles, instruments and
devices – 19.6%/ 21.0%; metals and metal articles – 16.1% / 15.3%; products of
chemical industry and related industrial branches – 9.7% / 10.2%; phytogenic
and zoogenic products, food products – 8.0% / 8.2%. These groups of goods made
up 90.6% of the total supply volume from Russia to Kazakhstan in 2012.
According
to the Russian Federal Customs Service statistics of 2012/January-July2013,
Kazakhstan’s export structure to Russia consisted of mineral products 26.3% /
26.0%; machines and equipment, vehicles, instruments and devices – 32.1% /
31.6%; metals and metal articles – 14.0% / 14.5%; products of chemical industry
and related industrial branches – 8.7% / 8.8%; textiles, textile articles and
shoes – 11.8% / 12%. These groups of goods made up 97.6% of the total import
volume from Kazakhstan to Russia in 2012.
On
December 19, 2012 in Moscow, the Presidents of the two countries signed the
Joint Operating Plan for Russia and Kazakhstan for the Years 2012-2015, a
strategic document, determining key tasks of bilateral co-operation.
The
highest focus area of economic co-operation is the fuel and energy sector.
Co-operation in the following spheres is being successfully promoted: the
sphere of electric-power industry (power systems of Russia and Kazakhstan are
operating in a parallel mode) and nuclear power industry (joint uranium mining
in Kazakhstan), oil and gas industry (export transit of Kazakhstani oil through
the Russian territory, purchasing and marketing of Kazakhstani natural gas for
supplies to other countries’ markets, implementation of joint projects on hydrocarbon
resources development in North Caspian Sea).
Co-operation
is being carried out in the sphere of space exploration. Russia holds a lease
on the Baikonur space-launch complex, located in Kazakhstan. In January 2004
the lease term was extended to 2050. The Kazakh space missile system “Baiterek”
is being constructed at the “Baikonur” space-launch complex on the basis of
bilateral intergovernmental agreements signed in 2004 and 2005. The
intergovernmental committee on the “Baikonur” space-launch complex is in action
headed by Deputy Government leaders of both countries, I.I.Shuvalov and
K.N.Kelimbetov.
Russia
and Kazakhstan cooperate in the military and military-technical spheres. Russia
provides supplies of Russian-manufactured weapons to Kazakhstan, as well as
assistance in maintenance and upgrade of Kazakhstani military hardware. Russia
has a lease on 4 military testing grounds located in Kazakhstan (test sites
Emba and Sary-Shagan, military objects and battlefields of the 4th State
Central Testing Ground, State Flight Test Centre # 929). Kazakhstani military
personnel receive training in Russian military training schools.
Russia
and Kazakhstan cooperate within the framework of negotiation process between
Caspian bordering countries on the issue of settling the legal status of the
Caspian Sea. In July 1998 the parties signed an Agreement on delimiting the
northern part of the Caspian Sea aimed at exercising sovereign power over
subsurface resource management.
On
January 25, 2006, the Presidents of Russia and Kazakhstan signed a Protocol on
Amendments to the Protocol on the Russia-Kazakhstan Agreement on delimiting the
northern part of the Caspian Sea aimed at exercising sovereign power over
subsurface resource management, of July 6, 1998.
Annual
top-level forums for interregional co-operation between Russia and Kazakhstan
have become traditional. The latest IXth Forum was held on September 19, 2012
in Pavlodar (Republic of Kazakhstan). The topic of the Forum was
“Knowledge-based Co-operation”. The Xth milestone Forum is planned for October
2013 in Yekaterinburg.
The
Russia-Kazakhstan Intergovernmental Cooperation Committee (ICC) has been in
action since 1997. The 16th conference of the ICC was held in Moscow on
December 17-18, 2012.
Sub-committees
for the Baikonur Space Ground, trans-frontier cooperation, interbank and
investments cooperation, military-technical cooperation, transport, Fuel and
Energy Complex, science and technology cooperation have been in action within a
framework of the ICC.
Delimitation
of the border between Russia and Kazakhstan has been completed (total extent is
over 7.5 thousand kilometers). On January 18, 2005, the Heads of both states
signed the Russia-Kazakhstan State Border Treaty. Work on border demarcation is
currently in progress; about 45% of the state border total extent has been
demarcated on the ground.
Co-operation
between Russia and Kazakhstan is effective along the lines of CIS and other
integration units – CSTO, EurAsES, SCO and CICMA. Since 2010 Russia, Kazakhstan
and Belarus have been a part of the Customs Union. A Common Free Market Zone
has been in effect since January 1, 2012, which provides an additional boost to
more extensive integration processes within the former Soviet Union.
A
goal has been set towards forming the Eurasian Economic Unit: in November 2011,
the Presidents of Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus signed the Declaration on
Eurasian Economic Integration, The Treaty on Eurasian Economic Committee, and
adopted its Procedure, Rules and Regulations.
The
Russian Embassy in Astana, Kazakhstan (transferred from Almaty) has been in
operation since June, 2004. Russian consulates general have been opened in
Almaty, Uralsk and Ust-Kamenogorsk. Alongside its Embassy in Moscow, Kazakhstan
has a consulate general in St. Petersburg and consulates in Astrakhan and Omsk.
A Kazakhstani consulate general was opened in Kazan in 2013.
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