Russia's Investments in Kazakhstan Near $30 Billion, Says Putin

MOSCOW, May 26. /TASS/. Russia’s overall investments in the Kazakh economy amount to nearly $30 billion, Russian President Vladimir Putin wrote in an article published ahead of his state visit to Astana. "The total amount of Russia's accrued investments in Kazakhstan's economy is nearing US$30 billion. Enterprises established jointly with Russian partners account for more than 40 percent of all foreign-invested companies in Kazakhstan," he noted. "Our investors are engaged in 70 major projects in the Republic, including in the automotive, heavy engineering, and chemical industry, as well as many other technology-intensive sectors, providing over 60 thousand new jobs." "Needless to say, with Russia and Kazakhstan being major trade partners, we place great focus on the economy. For several years running, our export and import operations, mostly carried out using national currencies, have remained at a high level," he added.