Ankara, 28 October. President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev arrived in Turkey on an official visit in the evening; he was met at Ankara's Etimesgut airport by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and a guard of honour was lined up at the aircraft steps, Akorda reported.
The two presidents held a brief conversation in the arrivals hall; Akorda did not report its content. According to Akorda's announcement, the visit lasts until 30 October and includes the Head of State's participation in the summit of the Organization of Turkic States. The Turkish capital was decorated with portraits of the two presidents for Tokayev's arrival.
The trip began on the evening of the day Tokayev delivered his annual address to the nation. In the address he named turning Kazakhstan into Eurasia's leading logistics hub as one of the main tasks; Turkey is a key country on the Middle Corridor, along which cargo travels from China to Europe via Kazakhstan, the Caspian, Azerbaijan and Georgia.
What it means: Straight after the address, the Head of State began his foreign programme with an official visit to Turkey, one of Kazakhstan's main partners in Turkic integration and transit to Europe. Being met at the airport by the Turkish president himself underlines the level of the visit.
Who benefits: Kazakhstan and Turkey, which can align positions ahead of the OTS summit and discuss transport routes. Business in both countries, which gets a signal that bilateral ties are a priority.
Background: The Organization of Turkic States unites Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkey and Uzbekistan; its observers include Hungary and Turkmenistan.
We have also reported that Tokayev will visit Turkey on 28–30 October and attend the OTS summit.
