Khalifa and Nazarbayev hold talks

President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler of Abu Dhabi, on his first state visit to Kazakhstan, held talks yesterday with Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev at the presidential palace in the capital Astana.

Welcoming Sheikh Khalifa and the delegation accompanying him, Nazarbayev said: "We know your feelings towards Kazakhstan. Because of these noble feelings the relations between the two countries has grown rapidly in all fields."

He said the people of Kazakhstan, who have followed Islam for centuries, were happy to resume their relations with the Muslim world after the relatively short interlude of communism during the Soviet era.

"We are looking forward to the visit as an important step to help Kazakhstan's relationship with the Arab world," Nazarbayev said.

Sheikh Khalifa thanked the Kazakh President for the reception, stressing the fraternal nature of relations between the two countries.

"When we visit Kazakhstan we feel we are in our second home," he said and added that he was impressed by Kazakhstan's development under the wise leadership of Nazarbayev.

"There is a qualitative progress we see in the areas of construction, economy, tourism and social development each time we visit Kazakhstan. Growth opens huge opportunities in different fields," Sheikh Khalifa said, calling for exchanges of visits between people and officials of the two countries.

He added that he was looking forward to the talks, which would lead to further joint ventures to serve the best interests of both countries. The UAE President also invited Kazakh leader to visit the UAE.

The meeting between the two leaders saw discussions on co-operation and joint projects between the two countries. Both sides expressed satisfaction about the execution of existing projects, citing the initiatives of the UAE private sector in Kazakhstan. They underscored the need for solidarity among Muslim countries to serve the causes of the Muslim world.