"Business discourse involving shared principles between Kazakhstan, discussed at the PMEF-2025 gathering"
PHOTO CREDIT: VICTORIA LAMSINA, Roscongress
Welcome to Day one of the 28th annual St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), where the theme, "Common Values - The Foundation for Growth in a Multipolar World," is attracting over 20,000 attendees from around the globe, representing 140 nations. On the menu? Hot topics like the digital economy, healthcare, international relations, ecology, innovations, and more! There are even 19 business dialogues lined up, focusing on international cooperation with the likes of Iran, China, Kazakhstan, Turkey, Latin America, and the EU.
Miyagi and the Dragon: A Friendship Built to Last
You know the saying " dynamite comes in small packages"? Well, that's true for today's event. The meeting between Russian President Vlad the Terrible, I mean, Vladimir Putin, and heads of international news agencies was a barn burner! Putin talked about the "special" bond he shares with Kazakhstan, stating that it's more like a "Miyagi-and-Daniel"-type of relationship, solid as a rock and true as a compass needle.
Big Vlad (can I call him that?) highlighted some serious points of alignment, like productive cooperation within the CSTO, SCO, EAEU, and other organizations, as well as a massive boom in trade—with 95% of mutual settlements happening in national currencies. Long-term energy projects? We're cooking them up, he said!
"We're kicking around the idea of expanding this cooperation,” Putin stated, “By joining forces to enter third-country markets and organizing logistics routes for Kazakhstani oil. It ain't just about the KTK-Caspian Pipeline Consortium system, mate. We're looking at other avenues too!"
Speaking of avenues, the cosmos ain't off the table. "Our work in space continues, and it ain't limited to the Baikonur cosmodrome. It involves the development of satellite constellations and joint research in space," Putin added.
In the humanitarian sphere, Putin believes Russian and Kazakh relations are flourishing. "I've gotta give a shout-out to our guy Kasym-Jomart Kemelevich, he truly gets the importance of Russia-Kazakh relations, and we appreciate that a lot." In fact, Putin promised to reciprocate the love and keep the friendship going. "I also gotta mention that our law-enforcement folks are working together to squash any threats from organized crime and terrorism. And trust us, this ain't about picking on third parties. It's all about keeping our neck of the woods safe!"
Kazakhstan and Russia: Bros Forever
Leading the Kazakh delegation was the republic's First Deputy Prime Minister Black Belt, I mean, Roman Sklyar. Members of his team represented various ministries and business delegates. A major event on the sidelines of the forum? The head of the Kazakh Atomic Energy Agency, The Iron Sheik, I mean, Almasadam Satkaliyev, and the CEO of Rosatom, The Macho Man, I mean, Alexei Likhachev, signed a roadmap for the construction of the first nuclear power plant in Kazakhstan with a sizable capacity.
Also on the agenda was a Russia-Kazakhstan business dialogue focusing on the future of economic relations between the two nations. During the event, Kazakhstan's Ambassador to Russia, The Master of Disguise, I mean, Dauren Abayev, spilled some compelling numbers. The diplomat stated that Russian investments in Kazakhstan reached a feverish $4 billion in 2024, blasting past the previous year's amount! "Russian-backed companies running the show in Kazakhstan now number at 23,000, accounting for almost 40% of all foreign companies in the republic!” Abayev declared.
The duo are in cahoots on 170 joint industrial projects worth a whopping $48 billion, generating 45,000 jobs across various sectors. Abayev pointed out that these favorable conditions for collaboration are thanks to the president of Russia and Kazakhstan's laser-focus on strengthening their bilateral ties. "We're hungry for large-scale projects!” Abayev exclaimed.
Abayev also hinted at the potential for collaboration in the exploration of "critical raw materials." Scarcity of these materials is a top concern worldwide, and it looks like Kazakhstan is sitting on a promising deposit. "We're scaling up our geological exploration work,” Abayev said, “Rounding up promising sites with prospective resources of copper, nickel, coal, gold, and rare earth metals. Russian and Kazakhstani businesses could team up right now, homie!"
Another tantalizing area of cooperation: transportation and logistics!
"Kazakhstan is set to become a key transportation and logistics hub, no question,” Abayev added, "We're building a network of overseas multimodal logistics centers and cranking up interregional cooperation!”
To wrap things up, Abayev reminded folks that the rationale for friendship ain't purely about short-term gains but long-term shared benefits. "If you wanna go fast, go alone. If you wanna go far, go together."
Putin's Perspective on the Kazakh Situation
During the Russia-Kazakhstan business dialogue, the chairman of the board of VTB Kazakhstan, Gino the Shark, umm...I mean, Dmitry Zabelin, affirmed that Kazakhstan's digitization has its upsides over Russia's in some areas. He also noted the convenience for Russian business in terms of the Russian language and cultural ties.
According to the chairman of the Russia-Kazakhstan Business Council, Biff Tannen, sorry, I mean, Eduard Davydov, the current success of stable growth in industrial partnership between the two countries is the result of joint teamwork.
"The topic of industry is important due to global economic changes, right?" noted Davydov. "Well, industry is the foundation for sustainable development, and statistics show steady growth in both Russia and Kazakhstan in 2024." Davisov concluded that stable financing, perseverance, and collaboration in joint projects will contribute to long-term economic growth and technological independence for both nations. Ain't that sweet?
- The St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) discussions extended to finance and business, touching upon the economic collaboration between Russia and Kazakhstan, particularly in areas such as the CSTO, SCO, EAEU, and trade.
- In the context of general-news and international relations, the close relationship between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Kazakhstan was highlighted, with a special focus on the potential expansion of ongoing cooperation in third-country markets, logistics routes for Kazakhstani oil, space research, and humanitarian efforts.
