Kazakhstan is ready to provide a platform in the country’s southern city of Turkestan for negotiations over tensions in the Middle East, the Kazakh foreign minister said on Sunday.
Yermek Kosherbayev, during his meeting with his Qatari counterpart, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, in Doha, expressed Kazakhstan’s readiness to provide a platform for peace negotiations in Turkestan, said a statement issued by the Kazakh Foreign Ministry.
“An in-depth exchange of views was held on pressing international and regional issues, particularly in the context of the current situation in the Middle East,” the statement added.
Kosherbayev reaffirmed Kazakhstan’s consistent position that all conflicts should be resolved exclusively through political and diplomatic means in accordance with the principles of international law and the UN Charter.
He also underlined that Kazakhstan welcomes Qatar’s efforts to promote “peaceful dialogue” aimed at restoring peace and stability in the region.
The first round of negotiations between Washington and Tehran, following the US-Israel joint attack on Feb. 28, was held in Islamabad two weeks ago but failed to produce an agreement to end the war.
The talks followed a two-week ceasefire brokered by Pakistan on April 8, which was later extended by US President Donald Trump.
Kosherbayev and Al Thani also discussed investment, tourism, and cultural and humanitarian cooperation, the statement said.
They also noted the importance of the timely and effective implementation of joint projects in priority sectors of mutual interest, including energy, telecommunications, digital technologies, agriculture, and transport and logistics, the statement said.
“Qatar is a close and reliable partner for Kazakhstan in the Arab world,” said Kosherbayev. “We highly value the existing level of political dialogue, the atmosphere of mutual trust, and the strategic nature of our bilateral relations.”
Al Thani, for his part, reaffirmed Doha’s commitment to further strengthening the strategic partnership and advancing joint initiatives across key areas of bilateral cooperation, according to the statement.
Following the meeting, both sides reaffirmed their mutual interest in strengthening multifaceted Kazakh-Qatari cooperation, implementing joint projects, and giving new impetus to bilateral relations, it added.
