Oleh/By : DATO' SERI DR. MAHATHIR BIN MOHAMAD
Tempat/Venue : REPUBLIC OF KAZAKHSTAN
Tarikh/Date : 18/07/96
Tajuk/Title : THE OCCASION OF THE OFFICIAL VISIT
TO THE REPUBLIC OF KAZAKHSTAN
1. May I, first of all, thank Your Excellency and
your Government for the very warm welcome extended
to my wife and I, and to members of my delegation.
My wife and I are very happy to be here to see for
ourselves the dynamic changes that are taking place
in this huge and beautiful country. I am also
particularly pleased to be able to meet with you
again and to renew our friendship.
2. We recall with fondness your recent visit to
Malaysia. During that visit we had been encouraged
by the clear demonstration on Kazakhstan's part to
enhance bilateral relations with Malaysia. My visit
here reflects our commitment to promote these
relations. It would also provide an opportunity to
exchange views with you on subjects of mutual
interest to both our countries. There is
considerable scope for cooperation in many areas
between Malaysia and Kazakhstan and, for this
reason, visits and consultations of this nature are
important.
3. Both our countries seem to have identical
policies on the need to foster close and binding
relations with our immediate neighbours. We also
strongly share the view that regionalism is the wave
of the future. We have found from our experience
that close consultations and co-operation on a
region-wide basis over a period of time have
contributed to mutual confidence and habits of co-
operation which not only contribute to an
environment of peace and stability but also to one
of rapid development. We are impressed by the role
Kazakhstan is playing in fostering such a climate of
peace and development in the Central Asian region.
4. As a trading nation, Malaysia has to promote
trade and economic cooperation with other countries.
Kazakhstan and the other countries in Central Asia
offer good prospects for trade, which will of course
be two-way.
5. Further, I firmly believe that we would need to
inject more substance into our collaboration so as
to tap the full potentials of the opportunities
available in each other's countries. The private
sectors of both countries should be encouraged to
take the lead and act as a catalyst in fostering
direct economic and trade linkages. It is for this
reason that my delegation includes many prominent
Malaysian businessmen. This visit will indeed give
them the opportunity to learn more about your
country and its business potentials and to establish
contacts with their counterparts here. I am
confident that with the strong mutual commitment
towards enhancing bilateral cooperation, a greater
flow of trade, investment and tourism between our
two countries could be realised.
6. I have emphasised the role of the private
sector because Malaysia has always been a market
economy. But of course our private sector is
familiar with working with Government entities as
well.
7. Kazakhstan is indeed located in a strategic
position in Euro-Asia between China, an important
neighbour, which is in the process of becoming an
important economic power and the Russian Federation
in the north, and to the West the whole of the
European Continent. Since trade involves
transportation of peoples and goods, we see
Kazakhstan providing an important road and rail link
between East Asia, Russia and Europe. In East Asia
we are seriously studying a railway system linking
Southeast Asia with China. It will be the logical
step to link this system eventually with the railway
system in Central Asia passing via and through
Kazakhstan. This will give many land-bound Central
Asian Nations access to the sea. Already you can
gain access to the Persian Gulf through the recently
completed Iran-Turkmenistan railway.
8. The end of the Cold War has not necessarily
made this a better and safer world. Many countries
have rushed into adopting democratisation and free-
market economic systems. While the objective is
laudable, the results for many have not been
particularly positive. There have been political
instability, economic upheavals and other
developments that have threatened the socio-economic
equilibrium of certain nation-states. Malaysia has
found that while other models of development are
attractive they often have to be adapted to suit our
particular needs. Each country has its own unique
characteristics which would influence its
development strategy. We would like to reiterate
that Malaysia, in sharing her experiences in
economic development, will always be sensitive to
Kazakhstan's nation-building efforts. Indeed we are
ready to exchange information on our political
experience as well.
9. In our common endeavour towards
industrialisation, there will be many identical
areas to explore and it is my belief that here too
we can learn from each other through the sharing of
experiences and the exchange of complementary
technical capabilities and technologies.
10. My wife and I will take home with us many
pleasant memories of our stay in Almaty. May I,
once again, on behalf of my wife and my delegation,
take this opportunity to express our sincere
appreciation for the hospitality and warm reception
accorded to us by the Government and the people of
the Republic of Kazakhstan.
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