site.btaParliament Chair Tsacheva Confers with Kazakh Parliamentary, Government Leaders

Parliament Chair Tsacheva Confers with Kazakh Parliamentary, Government Leaders

Astana/Sofia, November 9 (BTA) - National Assembly Chairperson
Tsetska Tsacheva conferred in Astana with Chairman of the lower
house of the Parliament of Kazakhstan (the Majilis), Kabybulla
Jakupov, with Chairman of the Senate of the Parliament of
Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and with Prime Minister Karim
Massimov. Tsacheva leads a Bulgarian parliamentary delegation
paying a visit to Astana, the Bulgarian Parliament said in a
press release on Monday.

Tsacheva and Jakupov signed a memorandum of cooperation between
the two Parliaments in which they undertake to work towards
enhancing cooperation in politics, trade and economy, science,
research and other areas of mutual interest.

The two Parliaments vow to develop interparliamentary
cooperation, to help broaden the legal and contractual
groundwork for partnership and to assist in the establishment of
 permanent relations between the committees and groups in the
legislature, to exchange experiences and to enhance multilateral
 parliamentary cooperation.

Tsacheva noted that the two countries have no open issues but
untapped opportunities exist for further broadening cooperation.
 

She noted that Bulgarian agricultural products, foods and
pharmaceutical products could sell successfully in Kazakhstan.
Construction and tourism are also among the areas of mutual
interest.

In 2014, close to 10,000 citizens of Kazakhstan visited the
Bulgarian sea resorts, Tsacheva noted.

Kabybulla Jakupov spoke of the immediate tasks facing his
country, including the formation of a professional state
administration, building an accessible judiciary, ensuring
economic growth and industrialization. Parliament is working to
adopt the legislation that is needed to accomplish these, he
added.

The meeting with Tokayev focused on the opportunities for
cooperation in the area of culture and tourism. Tsacheva said
that for Bulgaria, Kazakhstan is a traditional partner and a
country with a dynamically developing economy with whom Bulgaria
 wants to cooperate long-term in all areas of mutual interest.
She said that the opening of a Bulgarian-Kazakh Chamber of
Commerce is an important step in the practical realization of
the ambition of the two countries to broaden the economic ties
and create effective business contacts.

Bulgaria is interested in and plans to have its own stand at the
 international Expo 2017 exhibition in Astana, Tsacheva said.
She expressed a hope that the political dialogue between
Bulgaria and Kazakhstan develop according to the roadmap to
intensify the bilateral relations adopted at the start of 2014.
Tsacheva invited Tokayev to pay an official visit to Sofia.

The Bulgarian delegation also conferred with Prime Minister
Karim Massimov.

Earlier in the day Tsacheva opened an office of the
Bulgarian-Kazakh Chamber of Commerce (BKCC) at the beginning of
her official visit to the Republic of Kazakhstan.

Bulgaria considers Kazakhstan a traditional partner and wishes
to maintain long-term cooperation with that country, Tsacheva
said at the opening. She stressed that the opening of the BKCC
office is a symbolic event expected to give a concrete result.
Tsacheva added that efforts should be made to untap the
potential for the development of economic and trade relations.

The BKCC is a quickly developing non-governmental organization,
which enjoys the support of all Bulgarian state institutions,
she also said.

The Chamber was formally unveiled in Sofia and Astana on April 6
 and May 22, respectively. In Astana, BKCC President Andriyana
Petkova and Ayan Erenov, Deputy Chief of the Foreign Trade
Chamber with the National Enterprise Chamber of Kazakhstan,
signed a Memorandum of Understanding between the two
organizations.

The Bulgarian delegation includes representatives of the
Healthcare Committee, the Parliamentary Group for Friendship
with Kazakhstan, the Religious Faiths and Human Rights
Committee, the Legal Affairs Committee, the Culture and Media
Committee and the Committee of Environment and Waters.