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Astana (Kazakhstan), Apr 16 (ANI): India and Kazakhstan have expressed their firm commitment to further consolidate the strategic partnership during Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh’s two-day official visit to Kazakhstan.

Dr. Singh had arrived in Kazakhstan capital Astana on Friday on the invitation of Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev.

During his visit he held discussions with Nazarbayev and met with Prime Minister K. Massimov.

“The leaders noted with satisfaction the high level of relation between India and Kazakhstan and expressed their firm commitment to further consolidate the strategic partnership, the foundation for which was laid during the state visit of Nazarbayev to India in January, 2009,” a joint statement said.

Dr. Singh and Nazarbayev “met in a friendly atmosphere and exchanged views on India-Kazakhstan relations, as well as on international and regional issues. They noted the convergence of their views on most of these issues,” it added.

Dr. Singh also appreciated the important role of Kazakhstan promoting regional and international peace and security, successful chairmanship of Kazakhstan of the OSCE in 2010, and the stable political and economic development of Kazakhstan, which was reflected in the results of the presidential elections held on April 3.

Nazarbayev appreciated the growing role of the India in world affairs, which has been contributing to strengthening peace, stability and mutual understanding between peoples, as well as India’s ever-growing political, economic, and scientific stature and potential.

The sides stressed that the consistent growth in India-Kazakhstan relations has been promoted by recent meetings at the highest and senior levels, and appreciated increasing mutual understanding and trust, expansion of cooperation in the spheres of trade, economy, energy, socio-cultural activities as well as interaction on international and regional issues.

They decided to reinvigorate mechanisms for regular meetings at the level of Ministers of the two countries.

The sides also expressed satisfaction with the activity of India-Kazakhstan Intergovernmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technical, Industrial and Cultural Cooperation.

The sides resolved to improve the mechanism of the Commission’s activity through increasing its coordinating role in different spheres of interaction.

They also noted with satisfaction the progress in various fields of cooperation, and welcomed the signing of the “Joint Action Plan” on furthering the strategic partnership between India and Kazakhstan (”Road Map”) for the period of 2011-2014. (ANI)