РУССКИЙ
12:31 26.07.2026 •
Vladimir Putin with President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev
Photo: Kremlin.ru
Vladimir Putin and Kassym-Jomart Tokayev had a meeting on the sidelines of the 22nd Russia-Kazakhstan Interregional Cooperation Forum to discuss Russia-Kazakhstan regional and international cooperation, Kremlin informs.
Prior to the meeting, the two leaders examined information stands on cooperation between the two countries. Explanations were provided by Deputy Prime Minister, Russian Co-Chair of the Intergovernmental Commission on Cooperation between Russia and Kazakhstan Alexei Overchuk and Deputy Prime Minister – Minister of Artificial Intelligence of Kazakhstan Zhaslan Madiyev.
Photo: Kremlin.ru
President of Russia Vladimir Putin:
Mr Tokayev,
Friends,
We are all happy to welcome you to Omsk, Russia. It was here that the first Forum of Regions was held in 2003, and since then work in this area has continued and made a significant contribution to the development of bilateral relations.
Our relations are progressing successfully. They are indeed – not in words, but in deeds – of a strategic nature. This is evidenced by the growing trade. Last year, it was almost US$28 billion, 27.8, to be exact, which is fairly good. And in the first five months of this year, it has added over 4 percent, at least according to our statistics.
This is a good momentum which shows that we have good prospects, and these prospects are determined, among other things, by investment. Investments today create conditions and benchmarks for the future. In fact, here too we have things to be proud of: we have 70 projects involving Russian enterprises and Russian businesses, totalling around US$30 billion.
In this sense, Russia is the largest investor in Kazakhstan’s economy, working in a wide range of areas. Our relations are well diversified and cover the metallurgical industry, engineering, energy, pharmaceuticals, and a number of other areas.
Our cooperation in terms of humanitarian ties is also very important. Of course, education is a priority here. Thousands of Kazakhstani citizens study at Russian universities. I want to point out that right here, in Omsk, a branch of the Kazakh National University has opened. We are grateful to you that Russian students have been granted 100 state scholarships – actually, they study for free.
We actively cooperate in the world arena; we take most active part in all our regional organisations. This year, Russia chairs the CSTO, and Kazakhstan holds the chairmanship of the EAEU. We have something to talk about and align our positions here too.
Direct ties are developing very actively. Our work at the regional level is also very important in this regard. I want to thank colleagues on both sides for their active work. Today’s event is attended by 650 participants, including high- and central-level politicians, governors from both sides, regional leaders, and entrepreneurs. I know that a number of agreements have been prepared and will be signed, as is always the case at events of this kind.
Once again welcome, we are glad to see you. I know that you visited a hospital this morning. Omsk for you is not an ordinary place in Russia. I will also speak about it when we talk with the colleagues. President Tokayev’s father was treated here after being seriously wounded in the winter of 1945. This highlights one again the importance we give to preserving the memory of the Great Patriotic War and the contribution of our nations to the victory over Nazism.
Mr President, we are happy to see you.
Photo: Kremlin.ru
President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev:
Thank you, Mr President, for inviting me to the lovely city of Omsk which holds a special place in Russian history and plays a major role in promoting cooperation between our nations. I literally travelled from Astana to Omsk in a little over 40 minutes, both cities are very close to each other, they are border cities.
As it was rightly said today, Kazakhstan and Russia share the longest continuous border in the world. Therefore, this is a border of friendship and cooperation.
You said everything right. Indeed, we are very large trade partners. In 2025, our trade amounted to about US$28 billion. Meanwhile, this year’s trends are extremely positive: compared to the five months of 2025, mutual trade showed a good growth in these five months.
As for investment, in fact, Russia is coming out on top among investors in our economy. The amount of investments has reached almost US$30 billion. Interestingly, we have jointly selected a pool of 177 promising industrial projects, and 122 of them have already been implemented, while these 177 projects total US$53 billion dollars. This is a significant amount, given the current turbulent geopolitical situation.
I would also like to note that we are actively working in the humanitarian field. You mentioned the opening of a branch of the Kazakh National University. This is the first foreign branch of our university, and I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to you, Mr President, for supporting this project, as well as all other projects, because nothing would have been possible without your political will. And I would certainly like to praise your Government’s active efforts in this area.
Regarding education. You said quite correctly that we have high hopes for the Sirius project – the construction of two schools has been launched in Almaty and Astana.
As for space, it is a traditional sphere of mutual attraction, and we are actively collaborating. A joint space launch was made. Our respective agencies are actively cooperating with each other, and there are no serious issues. I would also like to note the constructive work of the respective Russian agency.
And, obviously, I should also mention the project to construct Kazakhstan’s first nuclear power plant. I have been informed that field work at the site near Lake Balkhash is nearing completion. This project is not simply about generating a new source of energy for Kazakhstan; it is a project that will bring our countries (and, most importantly, our peoples, especially the younger generation) closer together. After all, we are talking about training technical specialists with Russia’s assistance: local Kazakhstani professionals who will engage in working in the highly complex field of the nuclear industry.
Therefore, I believe that we are making progress on all the other issues is quite successfully.
I would also like to highlight the extensive work being carried out by the regional authorities of both Kazakhstan and Russia in implementing our shared tasks. Equally important, in my view, is the close cooperation between the parliaments of our two countries. As a former parliamentarian myself – I served as Speaker of the Senate, the upper house of Kazakhstan’s Parliament, for ten years – I am very well aware of the particular nature and nuances of this work.
Obviously, we do not exist in a vacuum or in isolation; everything taking place across the globe is of deep concern to us, especially given its impact, particularly on Kazakhstan’s economy. That is why I noted today that the very theme of this forum – transport, logistics, and digitalisation – is exceptionally timely. Essentially, this is now the top issue in the world, even more so than energy resources. The central challenge today is how to transport those resources efficiently and how to leverage trade for the prosperity of our nations.
I won’t hide the fact that I have been receiving numerous messages – and I have already informed you about them over the phone – from Europe and the United States regarding the current state of the conflict between Ukraine and Russia.
As you know, from the very outset I have maintained that this is an interstate conflict, a conflict between states. We are not talking about a civil war.
We have always respected the Ukrainian people, their culture, and their language. We believe that the true nature of this conflict remains unclear to many, ourselves included.
Take, for example, the conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia, including the period when it was frozen. The origins and underlying causes of that conflict were perfectly clear to us as they go back deep into history. In this case, however, the situation is very difficult to understand. I also know and believe that you demonstrated the utmost diplomatic flexibility during the meeting in Anchorage, Alaska.
This is simply my humble opinion, since so many people have been approaching me on this matter: perhaps this conflict should be frozen, and the parties should return to the “Istanbul Formula 2.0”, given the significant progress that was achieved there. Then, naturally, with security guarantees from the major powers, including Russia, it would be possible to move toward the long-awaited peace.
Kazakhstan is not an uninvolved country. At the same time, despite numerous proposals and appeals, I have categorically declined to act as a mediator, because I know that Russia is a great power, the Russian people are a great people, and, as they say, they are fully capable of resolving the issues on the agenda without intermediaries.
Still, I decided to express my humble opinion today because people knew I was planning to visit Omsk, they knew about our meeting, and they asked me to convey their thoughts on how this situation might be resolved. Of course, no one has a ready-made solution, because each side has its own position. Yet there is now an opportunity to put the conflict on hold. This is a well-established practice in international relations, a proven mechanism. It is heart-breaking that young people, the best gene pool of the fraternal peoples of Russia and Ukraine, are dying. This must be brought to an end because, in my firm conviction, what is happening serves only the interests of those who wish harm to both Russia and the Ukrainian state.
That is what I wanted to say. As for Kazakhstan’s position toward Russia, rest assured: we have always regarded Russia as a great power. As I have already said, I make this point at every international forum. We remain committed to strategic cooperation and to our allied relationship with Russia, regardless of how difficult circumstances may become. This forum is further proof of that. Thank you.
Vladimir Putin: Thank you. Regarding the Ukrainian issue, I will, of course, brief you in detail during our discussions today.
Thank you.
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