Vietnam, Kazakhstan sign visa exemption agreement

At the meeting with President Tokayev, President Thuong affirmed that Vietnam considers Kazakhstan to be an important leading partner in Central Asia, according to a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. President Tokayev also emphasized that Vietnam is one of Kazakhstan’s priority partners in the Asia-Pacific region.

The two presidents then witnessed the signing ceremony of an agreement on visa exemptions for popular passport holders.

The agreement was approved by Kazakhstan in June. Citizens of both countries, if holding a legal national passport that is valid for at least six months, are free to enter, exit, transit and temporarily reside in the territory of the other country within 30 days from the time of entry and no more than 90 days in each country for the 180-day period. If citizens plan to stay longer, they must apply for a visa.

State President Vo Van Thuong (R) and President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev shake hands before the meeting on August 21, 2023. Photo by VnExpress/Giang Huy

The two leaders also witnessed the signing ceremony of an agreement on the transfer of prisoners, a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in tourism and other documents on promoting economic, trade and communication cooperation.

President Thuong and President Tokayev agreed that the two countries will continue to coordinate and support each other at multilateral forums. Vietnam is willing to be a bridge for Kazakhstan to strengthen cooperation with other countries in Southeast Asia and Kazakhstan will be a bridge for Vietnam to strengthen cooperation with Central Asian countries.

President Thuong asked Kazakhstan to support negotiations to promptly upgrade their free-trade agreement, in order to meet the requirements of reality and rapidly create fresh opportunities for bilateral trade.

President Tokayev wants both nations to work closely to achieve the bilateral trade turnover target of $1.5 billion, as well as fostering connections in logistics, transportation, and agriculture. He also proposed establishing the Vietnam-Kazakhstan Business Council.

The two presidents welcomed the opening of direct flights between Vietnam and Kazakhstan in October 2022, saying that the signing of the Visa Waiver Agreement between the two countries and the memorandum of understanding on cooperation in tourism would contribute to enhancing tourism between the two countries.

In alignment, the leaders agreed on resolving regional and global disputes through peaceful means based on international law.

Party chief Nguyen Phu Trong (R) and President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev during a meeting on August 21, 2023. Photo by VnExpress/Giang Huy

Also on Monday, Vietnam's Communist Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong met with Tokayev, emphasizing that the visit was an important milestone, demonstrating the traditional relationship and shared aspirations of the two countries to develop relations for the benefit of both nations, as well as global peace, friendship, and development.

President Tokayev affirmed that Kazakhstan considers Vietnam a leading partner in Southeast Asia and that it’s important to foster relations between Kazakhstan's political parties and the Communist Party of Vietnam, viewing this as an important channel in the relationship between the two countries.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh also met with Tokayev, discussing specific measures to promote bilateral cooperation. Prime Minister Chinh highly appreciated the two countries' effective implementation of the free trade agreement between Vietnam and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), affirming that the two sides still have plenty of room and potential to develop together.

Prime Minister Chinh suggested Kazakhstan continue to create favorable conditions for Vietnam's major products such as agriculture, seafood, textiles and garments, and wooden furniture to access the Kazakh market. In addition, he proposed amending the free trade agreement between Vietnam and the EAEU to further facilitate bilateral trade and investment.

President Tokayev affirmed that he would steer the Kazakh government to focus on promoting cooperation in the fields highlighted by Prime Minister Chinh, as well as other potential fields such as transport, logistics, culture and tourism, finance, and digital transformation.

In a meeting at the National Assembly House on Monday, National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue stated that Vietnam highly values Kazakhstan's position and role in Central Asia. Vietnam and the National Assembly appreciate and support the further promotion of good friendship and comprehensive cooperation with Kazakhstan.

Hue emphasized that the National Assembly welcomes the two sides in issuing a joint statement and signing many cooperation agreements in diplomacy, trade, culture, and justice. This is the legal framework that will create favorable conditions to elevate traditional friendship and cooperation between the two countries in the future.

Vietnam and Kazakhstan established diplomatic relations on June 29, 1992, and the 30th anniversary of the event was celebrated last year. Bilateral trade turnover reached nearly $600 million USD in 2022. And in the first four months of 2023, bilateral trade reached $124.2 million USD, a 34.5% increase compared to the same period in 2022.

In October 2022, a direct flight between Almaty and beach city Nha Trang was opened. Almaty is a major economic center and a famous tourist destination in Kazakhstan. Two months later, a flight route between Nha Trang and Kazakhstan’s capital Astana also opened. The number of tourists from Kazakhstan to Vietnam is about 10,000 per year.