Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Alikhan Smailov met with Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin on the sidelines of the ongoing European Monetary Union meeting in Almaty.

The parties discussed a wide range of issues of trade and economic cooperation, measures to increase the volume of transit and bilateral cargo traffic, plans to modernize border crossing points, and a number of other topics.

Alikhan Smailov noted that economic cooperation between Kazakhstan and Russia is steadily developing, mutual trade is increasing and joint projects are being implemented. At the same time, an active political dialogue between the two countries' leaders ensures high dynamics across the whole spectrum of the Kazakhstan-Russian partnership.

He added that the mutual trade turnover in the first 11 months of last year increased markedly compared to the same period of 2021. Besides, industrial cooperation is dynamically developing within the framework of which 26 joint projects worth nearly $1 billion have been implemented and 84 big projects worth nearly $23 billion with the creation of 24 thousand workplaces are being implemented or are under elaboration.

"This clearly shows the potential of development of the Kazakh-Russian cooperation, which we need to actively support and develop," Alikhan Smailov said.

In turn, Mikhail Mishustin noted that the governments of the two countries are in constant contact and solve the most important tasks of interstate cooperation in real time.

"For us, strengthening relations with Kazakhstan is an absolute priority. Our cooperation is based on the principles of friendship, strategic partnership and alliance. Mutual trade between the two countries is successfully developing. At the same time, we consider it important to speed up the creation of new production chains in industry, machine-building, energy, transport and other sectors," Mikhail Mishustin said.