Kazakh Foreign Minister Kairat Abdrakhmanov met on May 16 with the Deputy Foreign Minister of Paraguay Federico Alberto Gonzalez Franco, who came to Astana to participate in the Ministerial Meeting of Landlocked Developing Countries on Trade and Transport.

The sides discussed opportunities of exchanging experience and cooperating on challenges Kazakhstan and Paraguay face being among countries with no access to sea. They also exchanged views on the issues of international security, including Syria, North Korea and the Middle East. Gonzalez praisedthe initiatives proposed by Kazakhstan as a non-permanent member of UN Security Council and within the Astana Process on Syria.

Abdrakhmanov noted that the first round of Kazakhstan-Paraguay consultations held during the EXPO2017 in Astana between the foreign ministries laid a solid foundation for widening and strengthening bilateral relations on political, economic and humanitarian tracks. The sides agreed to continue developing the mechanism of bilateral political consultations and widening the legal basis for cooperation, including on easing the visa regime, on education and other issues.

The Kazakh diplomatsaid the established positive dialogue with Paraguay will have a favorable influence on the trade and economic relations between the two countries. He also invited entrepreneurs from Paraguay to visit Kazakhstan for a more detailed investigation of business opportunities. Abdrakhmanov also pointed outthe importance of advancing cooperation between the largest regional economic blocks and noted the market potential of the Eurasian Economic Union for Latin American and Caribbean basin states and organizations, including the CARICOM, the MERCOSUR, the Andean Community and the Latin American Economic System.