OREANDA-NEWS.  April 16, 2013. Prime Minister Serik Akhmetov received Federal Councillor and Head of the Federal Department of Economic Affairs of Switzerland Johann Schneider-Ammann in Astana.

The parties discussed the development of economic and trade relations, strengthening of cooperation in the framework of industrial and innovation program, in particular, expanding cooperation in the field of investment, attraction of Swiss advanced technologies in the agricultural sector, engineering and instrumentation, healthcare, tourism.

Trade turnover between the two countries exceeded USD 5 billion last year. The existing potential for cooperation, according to Akhmetov, provides a great opportunity for the successful implementation of joint projects.

The sides noted the prospects of Kazakh-Swiss Business Council "opening new opportunities for cooperation between the countries."

Schneider-Ammann expressed the readiness of the Swiss side to further develop "mutually beneficial relations between the states," and called for the early completion of negotiations on a free trade agreement between the countries of the Customs Union and participating countries of the European Free Trade Association.