His Majesty King Abdullah and Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev on Tuesday agreed to expand economic ties between their countries.



“I believe that in the very near future our countries will be very much closer,” King Abdullah was quoted by Agence France-Presse as saying after meeting Nazarbayev as part of a two-day visit to the Central Asian state.



Nazarbayev described the King's first official visit as “a historic moment in relations” between the two countries.



He urged closer economic contacts between both countries, according to the Associated Press.



Nazarbayev said he and King Abdullah agreed during talks in Kazakhstan's commercial capital Almaty to set up a commission that would define prospective areas of economic cooperation.



King Abdullah said he hoped to see “considerable progress” in economic and cultural relations between Jordan and the Central Asian nation.



Kazakhstan is the most economically advanced nation in the region due to generous Western investment in its energy sector.



Nazarbayev also said Kazakhstan and Jordan shared views on international and regional issues, especially a peaceful resolution in the Middle East.



Meanwhile, Jordan and Kazakhstan signed two agreements on Tuesday.



Amman Mayor Nidal Hadid and Umirzak Shukeev, mayor of the Kazakh capital, Astana, signed an agreement between the two capitals to boost economic and cultural ties and promote the exchange of expertise in the fields of city planning, environment protection, education, health and infrastructure.



King Abdullah and Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev, who attended the signing ceremony, described the agreement as a positive initiative to strengthen bilateral relations and mutual interests.



During the visit, Minister of Culture Amin Mahmoud and Kazakh Minister of Culture, Information and Sports Yesetzhan Kosubayev signed a second agreement, which seeks to raise the level of cultural and scientific cooperation between the Kingdom and Kazakhstan.



It also promotes the holding of cultural days and exhibitions, as well as the exchange of scientific expertise between universities and higher education institutions.

The Jordan Times