Nikol Pashinyan and Kassym-Jomart Tokayev make statements
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev made statements to the media after the meeting.
President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev – Honorable Prime Minister, let me thank Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan for accepting my invitation and paying an official visit to Kazakhstan. Today’s visit is of particular importance, of historical significance, and during today’s discussions we will touch upon all our goals. Armenia is a reliable and trustworthy partner for Kazakhstan, and our relations are based on mutual friendship and mutual respect. Kazakhstan has always been a close and friendly country for Armenia and the Armenian people, and we highly appreciate the history, rich cultural heritage and traditions of the Armenian people. We build our multilateral cooperation on these values.
We intend to continue to develop mutually beneficial cooperation. My official visit to the Republic of Armenia last year, its results, as well as the results of the negotiations within the framework of today’s visit, testify to these relations. Armenia-Kazakhstan relations are of strategic importance. Within its framework, we signed a joint statement, and within the framework of this visit, relations between the two countries have further improved, new paths have been opened, new stages have been opened for cooperation.
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On this occasion, let me emphasize the role of Honorable Mr. Nikol Pashinyan in the development of Armenia-Kazakhstan relations.
Honorable Mr. Prime Minister, you are known to the international community as a strong leader, far-sighted leader and politician. Taking into account your role, today I have awarded Honorable Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan with the highest award of the Republic of Kazakhstan. This step is a sign of friendship between our countries, as well as evidence that we strive to further deepen our mutual ties.
I highly appreciate the results of today’s substantive negotiations. We shared and attached particular importance to various issues: mutual trade, economic and investment cooperation, and also agreed to take steps to expand trade turnover. Last year, Kazakh exports to Armenia exceeded $350 million. We, of course, want to support the Armenian economy, and we have agreed to take concrete steps to implement joint investment programs, to take concrete steps to expand and improve relations between business communities. As you know, the Kazakh-Armenian working group will contribute to the implementation of such mutually beneficial programs.
We can develop our partnership in industry, transport, infrastructure, agriculture, digitalization, transportation and other areas. Among them, we have attached particular importance to transport and transit opportunities. The new geopolitical situation in the South Caucasus creates an opportunity to strengthen bilateral regional cooperation. Kazakhstan supports the initiative of the Republic of Armenia, the “Crossroads of Peace” project. And we also emphasize that we are interested in participating in the TRIPP, the “Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity’’. Such projects, the North-South project, as well as the “Middle Corridor” project, correspond to the interests of both countries. Therefore, transport cooperation will open up great opportunities for both countries.
Let me also thank the Azerbaijani leadership for giving Armenia the opportunity to conduct direct trade using the territory of Azerbaijan. In November of this year, Kazakh wheat, the first ton of wheat, was delivered to Armenia through the territory of Azerbaijan. This is of very important political and economic importance. We have also agreed to strengthen our cooperation in the agricultural sector and ensure stable supplies. Working in this direction, we have agreed to take all necessary steps. One of the main tasks is to establish direct flights between Yerevan and Astana. In this regard, we have specific plans, and I hope that appropriate steps will be taken in the near future.
As for the topic of artificial intelligence, it is also very important for Kazakhstan, because digitalization in Kazakhstan is developing very quickly and dynamically. In this regard, Armenia has also achieved significant success. This area is a new locomotive that will allow us to stimulate the development of the economies of both countries. We have agreed to exchange our experience when it comes to artificial intelligence, technologies and digitalization. We have also talked about the implementation of joint programs. Together with Honorable Mr. Pashinyan, we will be happy to witness the opening of a large IT hub in the region. Next year, the “Tumo Astana” organization will be established.
We also discussed the main directions of development in the education sector. We have signed intergovernmental agreements for student exchange, which are also very important. There is also great potential for cooperation between the two countries in the healthcare sector. We have agreed to hold the Days of Kazakh Medicine in Armenia, and the Days of Armenian Medicine in Kazakhstan.
We also, of course, discussed issues when it comes to cultural and humanitarian issues. Last year, Days of Armenian Culture were held in Astana. This year, the same was organized in Yerevan. A park named after the great thinker Abai was opened in the capital of the Republic of Armenia. And today, a street named after Saint Mesrop Mashtots was opened in Astana. Thus, we express the spiritual closeness of our two peoples. This shows respect for the national figures of our two countries.
Dear ladies and gentlemen, today we also exchanged opinions on regional and international issues. We emphasized that our positions on various complex issues coincide. We seek to strengthen the efforts of the United States of America, also taking into account the role of President Donald Trump and taking into account his plan, which I also support, the steps that are being taken to achieve results. In this sense, Kazakhstan also highly appreciates the efforts of Armenia and Azerbaijan to normalize relations. We wish that this process will only have a good continuation and we will always be happy to support this process. Once again, during today’s negotiations, I confirmed this and in this regard I would like to emphasize the historical role of the esteemed Prime Minister for the sake of lasting peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
Dear Mr. Prime Minister, your far-sighted steps, your courageous steps for the sake of stability and peace in the South Caucasus deserve praise. I wish you success in this very responsible work for the sake of the development of Armenia, for the sake of raising the prestige of your country on international platforms. I wish success to all your initiatives. Kazakhstan is ready to support you, the Armenian people on this path. May Armenia-Kazakhstan relations be further strengthened.
Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan – Honorable Mr. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, first of all, let me once again state that it is a great honor for me to be awarded the highest award of fraternal Kazakhstan. To see this decision made by such an experienced statesman, politician and diplomat as you, and to receive this award from you, of course, is binding, and I am grateful for such appreciation. You are a person who has made a tangible contribution to modern international politics, and to see the situation from the point of view of your assessment is, of course, extremely important, because any development in any case always needs assessment and reassessment, because in any case, any decision also needs further maintenance and development.
When I returned from Washington from the Peace Summit on August 8, 2025, I considered it necessary to call and personally inform you about the events that took place. It was also an expression of my appreciation for the support you personally provided during this period and for the support provided by Kazakhstan. I would also like to remind that Kazakhstan provided a platform for the meeting of the Foreign Ministers of our countries in Alma-Ata at a very important time, and that conversation, those negotiations were very important for further developments. It is also no secret that the peace established between Armenia and Azerbaijan is based on the Alma-Ata Declaration, which, of course, in this case has a very specific political significance and has a symbolic meaning. I am very happy and it is a great honor for me that we are having this official visit in such an environment, as a result of which the relations between Armenia and Kazakhstan are reaching the point of strategic partnership, which, of course, is a new springboard for the development of our further relations.
As a result of the Washington Declaration, we are now focused on the implementation of the Trump Route project and are in a very active negotiation process with the United States to specify and reach an agreement on the legal framework and regulations. As you know, the main and principal issues have been determined and agreed upon as a result of the Washington Declaration, and Armenia and Azerbaijan are opening their channels for each other for internal, that is, through the territory of Armenia from Azerbaijan to Azerbaijan, through the territory of Azerbaijan from Armenia to Armenia, bilateral and international communication. And according to the Washington Declaration, all this will take place on the basis of the territorial integrity, sovereignty, jurisdiction and reciprocity of the countries.
Of course, Armenia and Azerbaijan have recognized each other’s territorial integrity and sovereignty on the basis of the Alma-Ata Declaration. I would like to emphasize that the Agreement on the Establishment of Peace and Interstate Relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan was also initialed in Washington, where the Alma-Ata Declaration also has a basic principle. And in that agreed and initialed text, Armenia and Azerbaijan emphasize that, based on the understanding that the republics of the former Soviet countries have become independent states and the administrative borders between them have turned into state borders, on this basis, the two countries recognize each other’s territorial integrity, sovereignty, and political independence, note that they have no territorial claims against each other, and undertake not to raise territorial claims against each other in the future.
This is indeed a very solid foundation for a lasting, stable and reliable peace, and we, of course, should make efforts to sign and ratify the peace agreement in the near future. Of course, we are already working on the “Trump Route” project, which, I believe, will also significantly increase the opportunities for bilateral economic cooperation between Armenia and Kazakhstan, as well as increase the export potential of both Armenia and Kazakhstan, in the case of Armenia, to the east, in the case of Kazakhstan, to the west. And we are, of course, very happy that Kazakhstan is showing interest at the highest level in this project, which, of course, will consist of railway communication, pipelines, power lines, cables, and also the infrastructure for road transport that Armenia and Azerbaijan have shown readiness to provide to each other.
Honorable Mr. President, I would like to emphasize that this new activity and dynamics of our relations are the result of your official visit to the Republic of Armenia in 2024, which was very important and pivotal. That visit gave a new impetus to our relations. And, here we have the concrete result, our relations have grown and are growing to a new level.
I consider it very important, you emphasized and we also see these signals, that tourism interest towards Armenia is growing in Kazakhstan, and I want to thank you for taking this initiative so that direct flights can take place between our countries.
Of course, Mr. President put forward another very important idea. This concerns student exchange programs. This is also a factor that will develop our relations at all levels. We are very happy and look forward to the opening of the Tumo center in Kazakhstan. Of course, new opportunities for deepening our relations in the field of high technologies and artificial intelligence are created. I informed Mr. President that as a result of the visit to Washington on August 8, a number of memorandums of understanding were also signed with the United States, one of which concerns cooperation in the field of high technologies and artificial intelligence. And recently, the US Government has granted an export license to NVIDIA, and within the framework of the Firebird company’s investment program, it is planned to invest about 500 million dollars in the Republic of Armenia. I know and during previous visits I had the opportunity to see and be convinced that Kazakhstan has very serious success in the field of high technologies and digitalization, the results are impressive. I thank you for supporting the further deepening and development of relations between our countries in these areas as well.
I would like to say that I have already had the opportunity to invite the President of Kazakhstan to participate in the COP 17 biodiversity summit to be held in Armenia next fall. I am glad to note that the esteemed President has active interests in the field of biodiversity and actively advocates for environmental protection.
Of course, in addition to international platforms, it is also a great honor for me to invite the President of Kazakhstan, esteemed Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, to pay a state visit to the Republic of Armenia. It will be a great honor for us to receive you on a state visit to the Republic of Armenia. I am sure that when that visit takes place, we will be able to record that, as a result of the current visit, our relations have already reached a new point and we will have the opportunity and space to formulate a new agenda and actively implement that agenda.
Once again, I would like to thank you, Mr. President, for this high-level reception, high appreciation, and simply human warmth.
Thank you very much.
The Office to the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia
