His Majesty, Kazakh President hold bilateral meeting

Muscat: His Majesty Sultan Haitham nin Tarik and the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan held a bilateral session of talks at the Palace of Independence in the capital, Astana. The two leaders discussed the full spectrum of Omani-Kazakh relations and the understanding and shared desire that bind the two countries to entrench cooperation and propel it towards broader domains.

The President of Kazakhstan delivered a speech welcoming His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik, in which he affirmed that His Majesty's visit to Kazakhstan is historic. He expressed his aspiration for the visit to contribute to strengthening the strategic partnership between the two countries and elevating it to broader horizons.

Then, His Majesty delivered an address, reading as follows: “Ladies and Gentlemen, I am very pleased to be here in Kazakhstan. Oman and Kazakhstan share a longstanding friendship, built over more than three decades on mutual respect, trust and a common desire for constructive cooperation”.

His Majesty: “Our meeting today to reaffirm the strength of this relationship and, more importantly, our shared vision to take it forward into a new and more dynamic phase”.

His Majesty: “We see the opportunity to expand our partnership, particularly in trade and investment, energy and mining, transport and logistics, food security, financial services, tourism, and digital technologies and artificial intelligence”.

His Majesty: “Kazakhstan’s strategic position in Central Asia and Oman’s location at the crossroads of major maritime trade routes provide a natural basis for greater connectivity between our two countries and our wider regions. We believe there is significant potential to further develop and expand new trade and transport links and to make greater use of Oman’s ports as gateways to key markets in the Gulf, Asia and Africa”.

His Majesty: “I am also pleased that this visit will witness the conclusion of a number of agreements and memorandum of understandings that will provide further substance to our cooperation and create new opportunities for our institutions and private sectors”.

His Majesty: “Beyond our bilateral relationship, Oman and Kazakhstan share a commitment to dialogue, peaceful engagement and respect for international law. At a time of considerable regional and international uncertainty, these principles remain essential to promoting stability, security and prosperity”.

Thereafter, His Majesty the Sultan and the President of Kazakhstan chaired an expanded official session of talks, attended by the two official delegations from both sides. The session commenced with a speech delivered by the President of Kazakhstan, in which he affirmed the importance of the relations between the two friendly countries and the progress witnessed in the areas of cooperation and partnership between them, as well as his country's keenness to be a reliable partner for the Sultanate of Oman. He noted that enhancing direct air connectivity between the two countries would support travel and communication between their peoples, in addition to the agreements representing a step that reflects the shared desire to advance cooperation and achieve further progress.

This was followed by the address of His Majesty the Sultan, the text of which follows: “Your Excellency President Kassym - Jomart Tokayev, Allow me to thank you for the warm welcome and generous hospitality extended to me and my delegation”.

His Majesty: “Oman attaches great importance to this relation with Kazakhstan. Since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1992, our two countries have developed a strong relationship founded on friendship, mutual respect and a shared commitment to constructive engagement”.

His Majesty: “Today, we have an opportunity to build upon these strong foundations and move towards a more strategic and results-oriented partnership. We welcome the momentum that our bilateral relations have gained in recent years. The exchange of high-level visits, the work of the Oman–Kazakhstan Joint Committee, and the implementation of the 2025–2026 Roadmap have established a solid framework from which we can pursue more ambitious areas of cooperation”.

His Majesty: “As we move forward, economic and investment cooperation must remain a defining feature of this next chapter. By strengthening these ties, we can unlock new opportunities for mutual benefit and long-term partnership”.

His Majesty: “Oman sees significant opportunities for growth, investment and cooperation with Kazakhstan across a wide range of sectors, including energy and mining, agriculture and food security, transport and logistics, financial services, tourism, technology and artificial intelligence. We welcome the development of projects that bring together our sovereign investment institutions, private sectors and specialised government entities”.

His Majesty: “Connectivity is another area of considerable strategic importance. Kazakhstan occupies a strategic position along major global trade corridors connecting Asia and Europe, while Oman provides direct maritime access to key markets across the Gulf, the Indian Ocean, Asia and Africa. Building on these complementary strengths could unlock significant opportunities for growth and create greater value for both countries”.

His Majesty: “We therefore look forward to advancing cooperation in transport and logistics, including the development of trade corridors through Omani ports, as well as strengthening air connectivity between our two sides”.

His Majesty: “Looking ahead, the financial sector presents promising opportunities for further cooperation. As Oman develops the Oman International Financial Centre, we see valuable opportunities for exchanging expertise and developing institutional partnerships”.

His Majesty: “Similarly, Kazakhstan’s progress in digital transformation and artificial intelligence offers an important area for future cooperation. We would greatly welcome the opportunity to deepen engagement and strengthen cooperation between our technology institutions, innovation hubs and private-sector companies”.

His Majesty: “The agreements and memorandum of understandings being advanced during this visit reflect our determination to translate the strong political relationship between our countries into tangible economic and institutional outcomes”.

His Majesty: “As we move forward with this shared vision, allow me to conclude by reaffirming my deep appreciation for the enduring friendship between the Sultanate of Oman and Kazakhstan. I look forward to the privilege of welcoming Your Excellency to Muscat soon and to continuing our collaborative efforts in the months and years ahead”.

The session of talks addressed the prospects of partnership between the two countries and the means of harnessing the available potential to expand cooperation in the fields of energy, mining, transport, logistics, food security, tourism, technology, artificial intelligence and financial and investment services. It also touched upon a set of issues and developments on the regional and international arenas.