His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, and Kairat Abdrakhmanov, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan, signed a protocol on Tuesday amending the agreement of mutual exemption of pre-visa requirement for holders of diplomatic and special passports to also include holders of ordinary passports.

The UAE Foreign Minister and his Kazakh counterpart also witnessed the signing of an MoU on the implementation of a project to establish a petrochemical complex of Mubadala in Kazakhstan.

During the meeting, the two sides exchanged views on a number of issues of common concern in the light of developments in the regional and international arenas, as well as ways of boosting bilateral relations between the UAE and Kazakhstan and mechanisms to strengthen them in all fields including economic, trade, cultural and renewable energy.

Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed stressed that the agreement will strengthen relations and support cooperation and coordination and enable the citizens of both countries to travel easily and facilitate communication between the peoples of the two countries.

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He added that the visit was successful after signing several Memoranda of Understanding, holding the first meeting of the Consular Consultations Committee between the two countries and holding the first forum for Emirati-Kazakh businessmen to promote economic cooperation.

He noted that UAE-Kazakh relations have developed since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries in 1992, expressing the UAE's interest in more opportunities for growth and progress in various sectors between the two countries.

The UAE FM also highlighted the huge growth of tourism movement between the two countries, noting that the number of Kazakh tourists to the UAE during 2016 reached more than 99,000 visitors. He thanked the Government of Kazakhstan for confirming its participation in the Expo Dubai 2020, which he said is a major platform for fruitful partnerships at various economic and cultural levels and an important opportunity to promote countries on the economic, tourism and cultural levels.

Sheikh Abdullah said that the UAE believes that the participation of Kazakhstan will enrich the exhibition and will give Kazakhstan the opportunity to present its culture and achievements which are internationally respected.

He also valued the hosting by the Government of Kazakhstan of the special meetings on Syria, expressing the hope that negotiations by the Syrian parties will lead to constructive and positive results.

The Kazakh Foreign Minister welcomed the visit of Sheikh Abdullah, commending the outstanding bilateral relations between the two countries.

He stressed that the UAE is a preferred destination for the people of his country and that signing the agreement will increase the number of Kazakh tourists to the UAE.

The meeting was attended by Dr. Mohammed Ahmed bin Sultan Al Jaber, UAE Ambassador to the Republic of Kazakhstan, and Mohammed Sharaf Al Hashemi, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation for Economic and Commercial Affairs.

Source: Khaleej Times