It was noted by the Portuguese side that Portugal views Kazakhstan as an important and reliable partner in a strategically promising region and is ready to reach an intergovernmental agreement on economic, trade and technical cooperation in the near future.

The parties discussed the current state and prospects for expansion of Kazakh-Portuguese cooperation in the political, trade, economic, cultural and humanitarian spheres, emphasizing the positive dynamics of interaction in recent years.

The diplomats also noted the quality of the dialogue within the framework of international and regional organizations, expressed in the mutual support of the foreign policy initiatives of the two states.

A thorough exchange of views on issues of international concern revealed the similarity of the positions of Kazakhstan and Portugal, particularlyregarding coordinating efforts to assist in the stabilization of Afghanistan and the resolution of conflicts.

The parties also highlighted the special historical contribution of the First President of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbayev, to the strengthening of security and stability in Central Asia and at the global scale.

Special attention was paid to the effective implementation of the Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement between Kazakhstan and the European Union, as well as the interaction of the parties in the "Central Asia - European Union" format.

Mr. Pereira expressed Lisbon's readiness to provide further support to Kazakhstan's initiatives in the international arena.

An important subject of discussions was enhancing economic diplomacy cooperation. The heads of delegations highlighted the importance of coordinating efforts in the transport and transit sphere as part of the Belt and Road Initiative, the development of alternative energy, information technology, innovation and engineering, light industry and tourism. It was emphasized that joint work in this area requires the expansion of the legal framework and the intensification of the negotiation process for the development of new agreements in priority sectors. An agreement was reached to expedite the domestic procedures for the approval of the draft agreement on economic, trade and technical cooperation, which enables the creation of an important institutional instrument - an intergovernmental commission.

The sides expressed mutual interest in holding an investment forum, which would contribute to deepening cooperation between the business communities of the two countries and finding new mutually beneficial and competitive projects.

During the visit, a presentation of the investment climate and economic development of Kazakhstan took place, bringing together around 50 participants from the Portuguese side.Meetings were also held with António Silva, the Executive Director of the Agency for the External Relations, Jorge Pais, Vice President of the Association of Industrialists of Portugal, and managers of enterprises, includingPartexOil and GazGroup, EFACEC, Novobase,ISQGlobal, TCPI, Micotec, NOV, SMP and MPG.

The participation of Portuguese companies in promising investment projects in Kazakhstan was discussed.

The meetings also focused on the relations in the field of education and culture, including teaching the Portuguese language in Kazakh universities.

At the end of his visit, Mr. Vassilenko gave an interview to the news agency “Diario de Noticias” on the current state and prospects of Kazakh-Portuguese cooperation.

From 2005 to the 3rd quarter of 2018, the inflow of investments from Portugal to Kazakhstan reached $ 251 million. The turnover for 2018 amounted to $ 398.4 million. A number of Portuguese companies are successfully operating in Kazakhstan in information technology, construction, architectural design, exhibitions and furniture manufacturing sectors.