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Central Asian states look to global trade, investment links

Prime Minister Serik Akhmetov delivered a speech at Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) minister's conference on Thursday

ASTANA, October 24 (Itar-Tass) - Central Asia's Kazakhstan, a member of the regional Common Economic Space (CES) and the Customs Union of Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia, has urged these organizations to build partnerships with countries outside their assembly.

Prime Minister Serik Akhmetov told a Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) minister's conference on Thursday that “Kazakhstan, together with other member-states of the Customs Union and the Common Economic Space, is interested in promoting co-operation with trade partners in other countries to increase the volume of mutual investments and make full use of the CES common market’s potential,” Akhmetov said.

He said Kazakhstan “is firmly convinced of the need for integration and actively participates in the formation of the Common Economic Space based on principles of free movement of goods, services, capital and labor force”.

Akhmetov noted the importance of the CAREC program to "find strategies and possible solutions to problems in the field of trade, trade policy and energy”.

“CAREC exploits the potential of regional co-operation and, therefore, contributes to the building of a global future,” the premier added.

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