ASTANA — President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev received Belarusian Foreign Minister Maxim Ryzhenkov on Tuesday, with both leaders underscoring the significant momentum in their countries' strategic partnership. During the meeting at Akorda, trade figures emerged as a central talking point: bilateral turnover climbed 30 percent to $1.2 billion in 2025, reflecting intensified commercial exchange between the two Eurasian nations.
"We highly value our partnership with your country across all areas, holding Belarusian statehood, culture, and history in high regard," President Tokayev stated. He noted that bilateral relations had demonstrated particularly strong dynamics in the economic sphere, providing grounds for continued optimism heading into future engagement.
The Kazakh leader pointed to the upcoming May session of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council as an important platform for advancing bilateral economic dialogue alongside broader regional integration efforts. Practical realization of high-level agreements remains a priority, Tokayev stressed, with emphasis on maintaining active and trust-based coordination between the two governments.
Ryzhenkov, conveying greetings from President Alexander Lukashenko, acknowledged Kazakhstan's success in prioritizing national interests and social stability as a foundation for robust international partnerships. "The close relationship between our heads of state sets a positive tone, and we sincerely appreciate the steadfast support across all areas of cooperation," the Belarusian foreign minister said.
Industrial cooperation featured prominently in the discussions, with both delegations identifying transport infrastructure, manufacturing partnerships, agricultural trade, and tourism as key growth areas. Special attention was given to expanding Kazakhstan's export capacity to Belarus, aligning with Astana's broader strategy to diversify trade routes and deepen integration within Eurasian economic frameworks.
A notable development announced during the talks involves the opening of Belarus' Consulate General in Almaty, Kazakhstan's largest commercial hub. The diplomatic presence is expected to facilitate direct engagement between regional businesses and streamline trade procedures for companies operating across both markets.
The meeting also involved an exchange of perspectives on current regional and international developments, reflecting the broad scope of coordination between the two allied states within multilateral institutions.