OREANDA-NEWS. Today in the Ukimet Uiy First Deputy Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Bakytzhan Sagintayev has held a meeting with European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development Phil Hogan.

The sides discussed a wide range of issues related to the state and trends of cooperation of the European Union and Kazakhstan in view of the signed Agreement on expanded partnership and cooperation on December 21, 2015.

First Deputy Prime Minister said that the European Union was one of the most important vectors of Kazakhstan's foreign policy and promising directions of commercial and economic cooperation.

Bakytzhan Sagintayev emphasized that the signed Agreement on expanded partnership and cooperation should lay the ground for the comprehensive development of political, economic and cultural relations between Kazakhstan and the EU.

The Agreement opens up new fields of use in bilateral cooperation including in the agricultural and food sector, the development of agriculture, settlement of pressing challenges in the field of food security.

In turn, Phil Hogan highly appreciated the dynamics of the dialogue between Kazakhstan and the EU and noticed wide prospects of cooperation in the agricultural sector.  The European Commissioner also expressed confidence that the Agreement on expanded partnership and cooperation would further strengthen cooperation in trade and investment spheres.

Following the results of the meeting, the parties confirmed the intention to continue the constructive discussion of issues of agricultural complex and implement joint investment projects in agriculture sphere.