No alternative to partnership between Astana and Moscow - Kazakhstan’s Senate chairman

MOSCOW, May 19. /TASS/. Strategic partnership with Moscow is Astana’s priority in foreign policy, Chairman of the Kazakhstan’s Senate Kassym-Jomart Tokayev told Russia’s Diplomatic Academy on Tuesday. "A corresponding agreements [on good neighborly relations and alliance] was signed in Yekaterinburg in 2013. Kazakhstan’s Senate unanimously ratified the document. We consider it the basis of allied relations between our countries," Tokayev said. Both cross-border and inter-regional contacts are actively developing between Russia and Kazakhstan on the basis of more than 200 agreements, Tokayev noted, adding that Astana sees "no alternative to allied relations." The official reminded that China and EU are also important partners of Kazakhstan. "We have a common border with China, it is one of our main partners, including in the trade and economic sphere," Tokayev said. "The volume of trade between Kazakhstan and China stands at the third place [$18 billion in 2014], at second place with Russia [$20 billion] and at first place with EU, reaching $55 billion," he said. Tokayev, who is on his official visit in Moscow, will meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matviyenko and Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin. Read more