Deputy Prime Minister – Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Murat Nurtleu, held talks with Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Sultanate of Oman, Badr bin Hamad Al-Busaidi, who arrived in Astana on an official visit,El.kz cites MFA.
This marks the first official visit by Oman’s top diplomat to Kazakhstan, opening new opportunities for strengthening bilateral cooperation.
During the meeting, the ministers engaged in discussions on a broad range of issues pertaining to political, economic, and cultural cooperation. Particular emphasis was placed on the prospects for collaboration in key sectors such as energy, transport, logistics, finance, and agriculture.
Both sides highlighted the importance of enhancing transit routes, acknowledging the strategic potential of Kazakhstan and Oman as regional logistics hubs. In this context, the important coordinating role of the Kazakhstan-Oman Intergovernmental Commission, the first meeting of which is scheduled for the second half of 2025, was noted.
“Oman is a key partner for Kazakhstan in the Middle East. Our nations share significant opportunities to deepen and expand cooperation,” stated Minister Nurtleu.
In turn, Minister Al-Busaidi, emphasizing the role of Astana as a leading economic partner of Oman in Central Asia, confirmed the firm commitment to bring the bilateral cooperation to a new level and proposed to consider the possibility of establishing direct flights between the countries.
In this vein, Oman’s initiative to establish a Private Equity Fund for Kazakhstan and neighboring countries to realize the potential of trade and economic interaction was noted and supported.
Ministers agreed that strengthening economic ties also creates opportunities for expanding cultural and people-to-people exchanges. Thus, last year the number of Kazakh citizens who visited Oman increased by 37% and reached 21 thousand people.
In this regard, the Kazakh side welcomed the decision of the Government of Oman to extend visa-free regime for the citizens of Kazakhstan up to 30 days, which will contribute to the increase of tourist flow and simplification of mutual travel, opening additional prospects for cooperation in various areas.
The two sides also exchanged views on pressing regional and global issues and reaffirmed their commitment to deepening engagement between foreign ministries.
Following the meeting, a Roadmap for Cooperation between the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan and Oman was signed, defining promising areas for further collaboration.