Astana: The UAE and Kazakhstan signed a protocol to include ordinary passports under the visa waiver agreement, exempting holders of said passports from pre-entry visa requirements.
The protocol was signed on Wednesday by Shaikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, and Kairat Abdrakhmanov, Kazakhstan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Shaikh Abdullah and Abdrakhmanov also witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding for establishing Mubadala’s petrochemical complex in Kazakhstan.
Shaikh Abdullah stressed that the amendment to the visa waiver agreement, which previously included only holders of diplomatic and special passports, will help support cooperation and coordination between both countries, and will facilitate the travel of citizens from both countries and communication between them.
Shaikh Abdullah also highlighted the big growth in the number of tourists travelling between Kazakhstan and UAE, with the number of Kazakh tourists to the UAE rising to more than 99,000.
Abdrakhmanov hailed UAE-Kazakh relations, and reaffirmed that the UAE remains a favoured destination for Kazakhs, adding that the agreement will help increase the number of Kazakh tourists travelling to the UAE.
Later, the foreign ministers held a meeting and discussed issues of mutual concern in light of recent regional and international developments. They also spoke about ways to bolster bilateral relations, including in the field of economy, renewable energy, trade and culture.
