Kazakhstan’s president expected to visit Belarus within six months  – envoy

March 9, Pozirk. Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev may visit Belarus within the next six months, Kazakh Ambassador Yerlan Baizhanov has said in an interview broadcast on Belarus 1 TV channel.

The visit was originally planned for 2023 but did not take place due to busy schedules, he noted, adding that it remains on the agenda.

Astana supports stability in Belarus as “the basis for strengthening all other areas of cooperation,” the diplomat stressed.

In 2023, bilateral trade fell by 16 percent and Kazakhstan wants to reverse the trend, Baizhanov said. The governments should work to boost trade, industrial cooperation and investments, he added.

Belarus’ bid to join the Shanghai Cooperation Organization proves Minsk’s intentions to boost ties with the East, the diplomat noted. He also expressed hope that Belarus will join the organization as a full member at the upcoming summit scheduled to take place in Astana in early July.

Kazakhstan is a major partner of Belarus, with trade amounting to $683 million in the first seven months of 2023, $1.24 billion in 2022, and more than $1 billion in 2021.

Both countries are members of the Russia-led Collective Security Treaty Organization and the Eurasian Economic Union.