Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev will pay a state visit to Russia on November 11-12, during which he will hold talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The two sides will discuss the development of strategic partnerships in the political, trade, economic, cultural, and humanitarian spheres, as well as regional and international affairs. Following the meeting, the signing of important bilateral documents is planned, RIA Novosti reports.
At the CIS summit in Dushanbe in October, the head of Kazakhstan emphasized the special significance of the visit, calling it a potentially landmark event capable of giving new impetus to relations between the two countries.
One of the key topics of the talks will be the construction of Kazakhstan's first nuclear power plant, with the participation of Rosatom. The Russian state corporation will lead the consortium for the plant's construction in the village of Ulken in the Almaty region on the shores of Lake Balkhash. Engineering surveys began in early August; by the end of October, more than 70 boreholes ranging in depth from 30 to 150 meters had been drilled, and soil samples are undergoing laboratory testing.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov announced on October 22 that relevant agencies are discussing the technical, financial, and legal aspects of the project.
Also on the agenda is the development of the eastern branch of the North-South Transport Corridor, a 7,200-kilometer stretch from St. Petersburg to Mumbai. Kazakhstan, Russia, Turkmenistan, and Iran signed a roadmap for the development of the eastern route for 2024-2025. By 2027, the corridor's capacity is expected to reach 15 million tons per year, and by 2030, 20 million tons.
Tokayev's previous visit to Moscow took place on May 8-9 to mark the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War.
