New Kazakhstan envoy seeks greater bilateral cooperation with Sri Lanka

(October 16, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) A new era in bilateral relations between Sri Lanka and the Republic of Kazakhstan is dawning with the appointment of Dr. Kairat Umarov as the Ambassador for Sri Lanka. Dr. Umarov will be concurrently accredited from New Delhi. This is the first occasion an Ambassador for Kazakhstan has been appointed to Sri Lanka. He is scheduled to present his credentials to President Mahinda Rajapaksa on 16th October 2008.

Dr. Umarov paid a courtesy call on Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hussein A. Bhaila at the Foreign Ministry yesterday(15 October 2008) and exchanged views on matters of mutual interest.

During the discussion, the Ambassador designate informed that Kazakhstan is attaching increasing importance to relations with Sri Lanka. He also highlighted that the two countries cooperate in many multilateral fora, and acknowledged Sri Lanka’s participation at the Asian Cooperation Dialogue being hosted in Kazakhstan, this week.

The Ambassador designate brought to the attention of the Acting Minister that tour operators from Kazakhstan who had visited Sri Lanka are keen to promote Sri Lanka as a tourist destination in their country. He also highlighted the popularity of Ceylon tea in Kazakhstan.

The Acting Minister referred to the difficulties faced by Sri Lankan businessmen in obtaining visas to visit Kazakhstan. Dr. Umarov acknowledged that the absence of a representation of Kazakhstan in Sri Lanka could pose certain difficulties in this regard. He undertook to further streamline the issuance of business visas from the Kazakhstan Embassy in New Delhi.

The Ambassador designate also pointed out the availability of opportunities to increase trade. Acting Minister Bhaila, while agreeing on the need to enhance trade relations between the two countries, opined that the energy sector is an important area that would be of interest to Sri Lanka, considering the vast resources of fossil fuel available in Kazakhstan, and the feasibility of Kazakhstan sharing its expertise in this sector with Sri Lanka.

The importance of having closer cooperation and interactions between the two Foreign Ministries was recognized and it was agreed to explore the possibility of exchanging high level visits, to further enhance bilateral relations between Sri Lanka and Kazakhstan. - Sri Lanka Guardian