OREANDA-NEWS. May 16, 2011. Sergey Lavrov, Russian Foreign Minister, made a working visit to Kazakhstan on May 13.

Lavrov met with Kazakh Foreign Minister Yerzhan Kazykhanov to discuss a wide range of issues in the Russian-Kazakh partnership and on international agenda.

The heads of the foreign affairs agencies examined the current state of, and prospects for bilateral collaboration in the political, economic and commercial areas, at the level of inter-regional relations and in the space, nuclear and other fields.

Particular attention was paid to the practical aspects of the further formation of the Customs Union of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan and of the Single Economic Space.

During the discussion of international issues, Lavrov and Kazykhanov stressed the need for even closer coordination of joint efforts within the CIS, EurAsEC, CSTO, SCO and the OSCE.

In the context of Kazakhstan's forthcoming chairmanship of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers, they reaffirmed interest in collaboration between the two countries in the Organization, where Russia has observer status.

The parties noted with satisfaction the progressive and dynamic development of multifaceted Russian-Kazakh relations solidly based on allied understanding and strategic partnership.