On 1-2 June 2006, Prime Minister of Georgia Mr. Zurab Noghaideli was on a working visit to the Republic of Kazakhstan.
The first day of the visit started with the meeting with Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan Danial Akhmetov. At the meeting, the parties mainly discussed the future plans to intensify economic relations between the two countries. At the press conference held after the meeting, the Prime Ministers of both countries said that each such meeting removes any problem in the economic relations between Georgia and Kazakhstan. As Danial Akhmetov pointed out, the questions of future cooperation in the energy and agrarian sectors are on the stage of consideration.
It also became known that the party of Kazakhstan is going to make another investment in Georgia. It's about building a grain terminal in Poti Port to support the carriage of approximately 1 million tons of grain. The talks on the project will be completed in the nearest future.
The Prime Minister of Georgia also met Uzakbai Karabalin, the President of Kazmunaigaz. According to Zurab Noghaideli, the meeting served the goal of shaping a specific plan to improve collection and reduce technical losses of gas by Tbilgas in Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia.
At the end of the first day of the working visit, Zurab Noghaideli had meetings with Askar Mamin, the Minister of Transport of the Republic of Kazakhstan, and Alitjan Ibragimov, the member of the Supervisory Council of Eurasian Industrial Association.
The second day of the visit on June 2 started with the opening of Georgia-Kazakhstan Business Forum. Prime Minister of Georgia Zurab Noaideli and Minister of Economic Development Irakli Chogovadze and Minister of Energy Nika Gilauri took part in the business forum. When making a speech at the forum, Zurab Noghaideli appreciated the economic relations between the two countries, noting that by the results of 2006, Kazakhstan is investor N1 in Georgia. It can be said without certainty that the companies of Kazakhstan will have made some 3-4 additional large investments by the end of this year.
The same day, the Prime Minister met Nursultan Nazarbayev, the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan. One of the main topics discussed at the meeting was Georgia's withdrawal from CIS. The meeting was very important, as the President of Kazakhstan is the current Chairman of CIS.
Zurab Noghaideli accuses primarily Russia of the fact that the said organization is ineffective and informal. As the Prime Minister said, the Government Commission set up by the Government of Georgia is continuing work and holding consultations with the other partners within CIS and the final decision will be made only after the Commission has finished its work.
The Prime Minister attended the Astana-hosted Georgian wine testing and presentation of Georgian travel agencies. He expressed hope that with such presentations as well as with the specific strategies that the Government has developed to fight falsification, the Georgian wine export will be much more effective.
At the end of the visit, the Prime Minister of Georgia held working visits with the representatives of the business circles of Kazakhstan.
Prime Minister's Press Service