24 May, Astana / Vladimir Matveev - BELTA /. The Presidents of Belarus and Kazakhstan expressed satisfaction with the results of the official visit of the head of the Belarusian state, Alexander Lukashenko, to Kazakhstan. This is stated in a joint statement of the heads of state, which they signed today following the talks in Astana, according to a BELTA correspondent. The joint statement emphasizes that the visit took place in an atmosphere of friendship, mutual understanding and trust. "The closeness of positions on current issues of the bilateral and international agendas, as well as the agreements reached, emphasize the progressive development of the strategic Belarusian-Kazakh partnership," the document states. The parties also noted that the Treaty on Friendship and Cooperation between Belarus and Kazakhstan is the basis for the consistent expansion of interstate relations, based on the traditions of strong friendship between the peoples of the two countries and mutually beneficial cooperation. Alexander Lukashenko, thanking for the warm welcome and hospitality extended to him and the Belarusian delegation, invited the President of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbayev, to pay an official visit to Belarus at his convenience. In addition, today in Astana, an agreement on cooperation between the ministries of internal affairs of Belarus and Kazakhstan, an agreement between the ministries of defense on cooperation in the field of flight safety of state aircraft, and an intergovernmental agreement on cooperation in the field of government communications were signed. The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sergei Martynov, signed these documents on behalf of Belarus. -0-

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