Meeting with President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev

President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Mr Tokayev, I am delighted to meet with you, this time during events associated with the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.

Before we begin our meeting, I would like to congratulate you once again, this time personally, on the outcomes of the recent elections to the country's parliament, the Kurultai. I would like to mention the high voter turnout and, which is most important, the voting results that confirm public support for the course, charted under your leadership, towards the further development of Kazakhstan, stronger internal political stability and economic progress as the basis for addressing a broad range of issues related to social development and improving people's living standards. That is what the people have voted for.

Our bilateral relations are actively developing in nearly all spheres. Last year, we reported good trade turnover results, and they have further grown this year.

President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev Tokayev Kassym-JomartPresident of the Republic of Kazakhstan : Yes, this is true.

Vladimir Putin: Overall, this is a good result indeed.

We are working on a broad range of issues. Our agenda includes both large projects and current issues. I am confident that these projects and issues are not only addressable but are actually being addressed, with our intergovernmental commissions working actively. I believe that we should thank our colleagues for being this active and for implementing all our agreements.

It is especially gratifying that our humanitarian contacts are growing stronger. As many as 60,000 young people from Kazakhstan are studying in Russian universities. A branch of Kazakhstan's leading university has recently opened in Omsk. In other words, our relationship is a two-way street in almost every aspect.

Today, we have an opportunity to talk about all these aspects.

To be continued.