From March 19-20, 2008, a delegation of the Karaganda region of the Republic of Kazakhstan, headed by Akim of the region Nurlan Nigmatulin, visited the UAE. The delegation, which included the heads of large industrial enterprises of the region, such as Arsellor Mittal and Kazakhmys, as well as the chairman of the CCI and businessmen of the Karaganda region, held a number of meetings in the emirate of Abu Dhabi.
During the visit, the delegation met with the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan at his residence in Abu Dhabi. The meeting discussed the future prospects of bilateral trade and economic cooperation. Both sides noted that the dynamic relations between Kazakhstan and the UAE are reflected in the implementation of specific joint projects.
Akim of the Karaganda region N. Nigmatulin invited representatives of the business community and investors of the UAE to participate in the International Investment Forum, scheduled for May 2008 in Karaganda. The Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi expressed interest in participating in the Forum and promised to send emirate businessmen to Karaganda. He emphasized that the UAE leadership intends to further develop comprehensive relations with Kazakhstan.
During a meeting with the director of the Department of Economics and Budget Planning Abu Dhabi Nasser al-Swaydi, the parties discussed issues of bilateral cooperation in various sectors of the economy.
Then, the delegation members visited the Abu Dhabi Financial Center, whose main task is to regulate and timely respond to changes on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange. According to Khaled Halfan al-Swaydi, Director of the Systematization and Management Department of the Abu Dhabi Financial Center, in recent years there has been an active inclusion of a number of Kazakhstani largest corporations in the securities market of international exchanges and financial institutions. The Emirate side expressed its readiness to provide its trading platform in the securities market to Kazakhstani companies.
On the same day, the Kazakh delegation held an official meeting with the leadership and members of the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Noting the high level of bilateral political, trade, cultural and humanitarian ties, N. Nigmatulin called on representatives of the UAE business circles to work more actively with the regions of Kazakhstan. During the meeting, a "Memorandum of Understanding" was signed between the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Karaganda Region and the Abu Dhabi CCI.
