Chairwoman of the Vietnam National Assembly Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan will pay an official visit to the Republic of Kazakhstan from October 16-18, aiming to enhance cooperation between the two countries and their legislative ties. 

NA Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan

The visit will be made at the invitation of Chairman of the Senate of the Parliament of Kazakhstan Kassym Zhomart Tokayev, and Chairman of the Mazhilis (lower house) of the Parliament Nurlan Nigmatulin.

This is the first-ever visit to Kazakhstan by a Vietnamese National Assembly head. 

Over the years, high-ranking leaders of Vietnam and Kazakhstan have regularly exchanged visits. 

Both countries have affirmed their readiness to deepen ties between their Parties and legislative bodies. 

Vietnam has always paid heed to developing friendship with Kazakhstan and considers it an important partner in Central Asia. 

Kazakhstan has the largest area in Central Asia and a population of more than 16.6 million. The country is blessed with diverse natural resources and the world’s eighth-largest oil reserve. The Caspian Sea of Kazakhstan itself boasts deposits of eight billion tonnes of oil, ranks third in the world in chrome, second in uranium, fourth in ore and tine, and eighth in gold and coal. This gives great potential for economic cooperation between Vietnam and Kazakhstan, especially in mining and oil and gas.

However, bilateral economic and trade ties still have untapped potential. 

Vietnam and Kazakhstan are members of the Vietnam-Eurasian Free Trade Agreement (Vietnam-EAEU FTA) which came into force in October 2016. The two countries have also signed cooperation agreements in economy, trade and investment promotion facilitation, along with a number of memoranda of understanding. The documents include a pact between the Vietnam National Oil and Gas Group (PetroVietnam) and State-owned oil and gas company of Kazakhstan (KazMunayGas), and another deal in mining and energy. 

At the same times, the two sides have increased cultural exchanges, as reflected by cultural days of Vietnam and Kazakhstan in the respective countries. 

Vietnamese and Kazakh legislative bodies have also maintained collaboration, both bilaterally and multilaterally. 

In 2013, the first Vietnamese NA delegation led Vice Chairman Uong Chu Luu visited Kazakhstan. In 2015, the Chairman of the Mazhilis Kabibulla Dzhakupov visited Vietnam and attended the 132nd General Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union. Vietnam and Kazakhstan also established a friendship parliamentarians’ group to promote cooperation and exchange between their parliamentarians. 

The upcoming official visit to Kazakhstan by NA Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan is expected to boost friendship and cooperation between the two countries, as well as relations between the Communist Party of Vietnam and political parties in the Kazakhstan Parliament, especially the Nur Otan Party and the Communist People’s Party of Kazakhstan. 

It is also hoped to foster bilateral partnerships in economy, trade, investment, energy and culture-education. 

During the visit, the two sides are scheduled to discuss measures to maximise the Vietnam-EAEU FTA, and step up collaboration in legislative activities.

VNA