Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, President of the Republic of Kazakhstan presented Irakli Kobakhidze, Prime Minister of Georgia with the First-Class Order of Dostyk, one of Kazakhstan’s highest state awards.

It was conferred in recognition of the Prime Minister’s contribution to strengthening and advancing bilateral relations between Georgia and the Republic of Kazakhstan.

The President of Kazakhstan highlighted the productive cooperation between the two countries across a wide range of areas and thanked the Prime Minister of Georgia for his contribution to the development of bilateral relations.

"Under your strong leadership, Georgia has been successfully implementing large-scale social and economic reforms, improving the well-being of its citizens while strengthening its international standing and reinforcing its role as an important regional partner. It is truly impressive to witness your country`s remarkable path of development. I am confident that Georgia will continue to make steady progress on the path of sustainable development.

Kazakhstan regards Georgia as a strong and successful state. Our countries are connected by deep historical ties, shared cultural values and centuries-old traditions of friendship and mutual understanding. The Kazakh people hold the Georgian people in high esteem. We sincerely appreciate your rich history and unique culture. The Georgian diaspora is an integral part of Kazakhstan`s society and serves as a living bridge between our two nations.

In recent years, our bilateral relations have entered a new stage. Political dialogue has intensified, bilateral trade continues to grow steadily and economic cooperation is expanding. Kazakhstan and Georgia also cooperate effectively on the international stage and consistently support each other on important international issues.

We had a very productive meeting today and reached important agreements aimed at further strengthening our bilateral relations. We placed particular emphasis on expanding cooperation in trade, the economy, investment, culture and humanitarian affairs. Special attention was also devoted to joint projects in energy, transport, industry, engineering and agriculture. All of this creates a solid foundation for elevating our bilateral relations to a new level.

Today, we signed a Joint Declaration under which our relations have been elevated to the level of a strategic partnership.

This is truly a historic moment, made possible to a great extent by your active leadership and personal efforts. Allow me to once again express my sincere gratitude for your visit, for the time you have devoted to strengthening our relations and for your commitment to bringing our peoples even closer together.

Mr. Prime Minister, in recognition of your outstanding leadership and your significant contribution to strengthening cooperation between Kazakhstan and Georgia, I have decided to award you the First-Class Order of Dostyk.

This award symbolizes the close ties and growing partnership between our two countries. May this high state award serve as an expression of the deep respect of the people of Kazakhstan for the Georgian people and as a token of my personal appreciation for you, Mr. Prime Minister", - said Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.

The Head of Government of Georgia thanked the President of Kazakhstan for the award and expressed confidence that elevating bilateral relations to the level of a strategic partnership would bring even greater benefits and prosperity to both countries.

"Mr. President, I sincerely thank you for awarding me one of Kazakhstan’s highest state orders. It symbolizes the exceptional friendship that exists between our two countries and our peoples. We are proud of this strong friendship and partnership. We highly value the close relations between our countries and peoples and remain firmly committed to doing everything possible to strengthen this friendship even further.

We enjoy excellent political relations and I would like to thank you personally for your outstanding contribution to the development of relations between Georgia and Kazakhstan. The Government of Georgia will continue to do everything possible to further strengthen and expand our cooperation across all areas. Today is a historic day for our bilateral relations. We signed the Strategic Partnership Agreement between Georgia and the Republic of Kazakhstan, which will elevate cooperation between our countries to a qualitatively new level.

Mr. President, thank you very much for your friendship, your support and your country's strong commitment to further deepening relations between Georgia and Kazakhstan", - said Irakli Kobakhidze.