Kazakhstan, Palestine Move Into New Era Of Cooperation

ASTANA. KAZINFORM - The Republic of Kazakhstan and the State of Palestine have signed the Memorandum of Understanding on political consultations and the Memorandum of Cooperation with regard to chambers of commerce and industry, Kazinform correspondent reports. "Kazakhstan attaches great importance to the development of bilateral relations with Palestine. The groundwork for this cooperation was laid during the visit of the leader of the Palestine Liberation Organization, the head of the Palestinian National Authority, the late Yasser Arafat, to our country in 1991, the year when Kazakhstan declared its independence, and also during the return visit of President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev to Palestine in 1995," Kazakh Minister of Foreign Affairs Kairat Abdrakhmanov recalled after signing the documents. The Minister also assured his Palestinian counterpart, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of the State of Palestine Dr. Riyad Al-Malki, that Kazakhstan's stance on the independence of the Palestinian state remains unchanged. In turn, Mr. Al-Malki thanked our country's leadership for the continuous support. "This is a great opportunity for me to visit Astana, expand our warm relations and convey the words of gratitude of the Palestinian people to the President of Kazakhstan, the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan for their commitment, support, and consistency in supporting Palestine at the regional and international levels over the course of the hardest years," the foreign guest emphasized. He said that Kazakhstan has proved itself to be Palestine's permanent friend, which supports our undertakings and does everything in the power of the country to preserve and establish peace in the region. "We greatly appreciate these efforts. For us, today's meeting is an opportunity to further expand bilateral relations," he added. Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad Al-Malki arrived in Astana yesterday for an official visit that ends July 31.