The Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Mr Jonatan Vseviov had a working visit to Kazakhstan on 27-28 November and to Uzbekistan on 29 November. In Kazakhstan, Mr Vseviov met with Deputy Foreign Minister Mr Roman Vassilenko, Deputy Chairwoman of the Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee of the Lower House of Parliament Ms Aigul Kuspan, Deputy Director of KISI Ms Alua Zholdybalina and Deputy Minister of Trade and Integration Ms Zhanel Kushukova. In Uzbekistan, meetings were held with Deputy Foreign Minister Mr Bakhromyon Aloev, Special Representative of the President for Foreign Policy Mr Abdulaziz Kamilov and Special Representative of the President for Afghanistan Mr Ismatulla Irgashev, Deputy Chairman of the Senate Mr Sodiq Safoev, and Deputy Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Lower House of Parliament Mr Kodir Zhuraev.
The main topics of the meetings in Kazakhstan were bilateral relations and new areas of cooperation, including in the fields of education, IT and logistics. The sanctions imposed on Russia and their impact on bilateral trade were also discussed. “It is important for Estonia to maintain and grow legitimate trade with the countries of Central Asia, but we must do everything we can, to ensure that under the flag of this trade, evasion of Russian sanctions and assistance to the aggressor are not encouraged,” said Vseviov. It was agreed that improving the exchange of information between the customs authorities of Estonia and Kazakhstan would help to fulfil this goal.
Cooperation in international organizations such as the OSCE and the United Nations was also discussed. “During the meetings with colleagues from Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, it was confirmed that we clearly stand for a world based on the UN Charter and the principle of territorial integrity. At the same time, the shared history of our countries helps us to understand and respect each other’s positions, even if we do not always act in the same way on the international arena.”
At the meetings in Uzbekistan, in addition to international issues and sanctions imposed on Russia, bilateral cooperation between Estonia and Uzbekistan, Uzbekistan’s relations with the European Union and the situation in Afghanistan were discussed. Also, parties talked about the upcoming Global Gateway investment forum of the European Union with Central Asian countries, which focuses on the development of connections in the region and which Estonian companies are also interested in. “It is strategically important for both Estonia and the European Union that Uzbekistan can expand its trade routes and diversify its partnerships with European countries.”
