Honorary Consulate of Kazakhstan opened in Hyderabad

The Honorary Consulate of Kazakhstan was opened here on Wednesday.

Ambassador of Kazakhstan to IndiaYerlan Alimbayev, speaking on the occasion, expressed confidence that the opening of the Consulate would deepen bilateral trade, economic and cultural ties between the two countries.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the function, Alimbayev said Kazakhstan is India's main trade-economic partner in Central Asia.

Bilateral trade turnover for 2020 reached almost USD2.4 billion. This exceeds the total turnover with all other countries of the region and there is a huge potential todevelop trade cooperation, he said.

Replying to a query, he said Kazakhstan is the biggest supplier of uranium to India and has so far supplied toit 9,000 tonnes of uranium.

''Now, the new term contract (for supply of uranium) is under consideration and probably before the state visit of our President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to India which is most likely in the next half of the year, we will have this contract signed,'' Alimbayev said.

India sources nearly 80 percent of its uranium requirement from Kazakhstan.

Cooperation with India on the economic track is focused on solving specific tasks that are defined at the highest andhigh-level meetings, he said adding the priority areas areenergy, nuclear industry, IT, transport and logistics, food and processing industry, pharmaceuticals, investment.

Nawab Mir Nasir Ali Khan, Honorary Consul of Kazakhstan for Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, said the Honorary Consulate ofKazakhstan, established in Hyderabad, would work towards bridging and strengthening the people-to-people and business relationships between Kazakhstan and the states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.

The Consulate would enhance exports and imports from and Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, he added.

Kazakhstan currently has its Embassy in New Delhi and consulates in Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, and Ahmedabad.