Kazakhstan opens its doors to Africa

Astana, May 20 (EFE). —  Visiting Senegalese President Macky Sall on Friday met with Kazakh counterpart Nursultan Nazarbayev in a bid to bolster cooperation between the West African nation and resourcesrich Kazakhstan.

“I’d like you to see in my face the whole of Africa, which is willing to cooperate with Kazakhstan,” Sall told a joint press conference at Nazarbayev’s Akorda Presidential Palace in Astana following their talks.

“The whole world is interested in our continent now, and we came to Kazakhstan as partners for cooperation,” Senegal’s president said.

Sall’s visit to Astana, the first by a nonArab African leader, opens a new era of relations between Kazakhstan and the African continent, Kazakh officials said.

“Our country is open to cooperation with Senegal in all spheres. Your republic is an important part of Africa and we are honored to cooperate with it,” the Kazakh leader said.

Nazarbayev thanked Sall for Senegal’s support for a host of Kazakh initiatives, including Astana’s drive to create a global network under the UN to combat international terrorism and extremism and the creation of the Islamic Organization for Food Security with headquarters in Astana.

“As members of the Muslim community, we’ve agreed to cooperate within the framework of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC),” Nazarbayev said.

The Kazakh leader said the two sides also discussed trade and economic cooperation.

“The sphere of our cooperation is at a low level. Obviously, there are large territorial and transportation problems in this area. Energy, agriculture and Islamic banking are our priorities as of now,” Nazarbayev said.

“This continent is going to develop sharply soon, and Kazakhstan needs to step up cooperation with the African countries now,” he added.

Sall said he was counting on Kazakhstan’s experience to help Senegal develop its mining, high technology and agriculture industries.

In closing, he said Senegal supported Kazakhstan’s bid to become a nonpermanent member of the United Nations Security Council for 20172018 and that Dakar would participate in the international exhibition “Expo 2017: Future Energy,” that kicks off in Astana in June next year.