Kazakhstan, EU discuss strengthening of cooperation

Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev and European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso have discussed the country’s cooperation with European Union (EU).According to Kazakh news agency (Trend), the parties discussed the prospects of strengthening of cooperation, as well as the topical issues of the international agenda.Kazakh president stressed that the head of the European Commission pays special attention to the development of relation between Kazakhstan and EU.He urged the EU to provide all possible assistance and support the early conclusion of negotiations on the country’s accession to the World Trade Organisation (WTO). Kazakh president expressed confidence that it will serve as an additional guarantee for European investors and will further improve the investment and business climate in the country under the conditions of global competition.For his part, Barroso said that the EU is a major trade and investment partner of Kazakhstan and European companies are interested in further deepening of economic relations with the country. In this regard, he stressed that the completion of the negotiations and the signing of a new bilateral agreement on extended partnership and cooperation between Kazakhstan and the EU in the near future will give an additional impetus to the strengthening of mutually beneficial cooperation and will form the legal basis for a qualitatively new stage of dialogue with the EU.