On April 4 the Embassy and Carleton's EURUS organized a round table seminar dedicated to the 25th Anniversary of the establishment of the Diplomatic Relations between Kazakhstan and Canada. Kazakhstan's Ambassador to Canada, H.E. Konstantin Zhigalov, Former Ambassador of Canada to Kazakhstan,  Senior  Fellow  at  CIGI,  Ms.  Margaret  Skok,  and  Director  for  Eastern  Europe  and Eurasia  at Global  Affairs  Canada  discuss  the  development  of  a  quarter  century  Kazakh-Canada relations. The event was moderated by Professor Piotr Dutkiewicz.

Ambassadors  and  Heads  of  diplomatic  missions  of  Armenia,  Belarus,  Cuba,  Mongolia,  Russia, students  of  the  University  and  general  public  attended  the  round  table.  Ambassador  Zhigalov highlighted Kazakhstan's  achievements  in  socio-economic  and  political  spheres,  including  the recently declared Third Modernization program that will help Kazakhstan rich its ambitious goal to enter the list of 30 competitive economies of the world. He stressed the importance of the Kazakh-Canada Business Council in promoting economic ties. Today 104 companies of the two countries work under the umbrella of KCBC. Ambassador  Zhigalov  stressed  the  active  political  dialogue  and  interparliamentary  cooperation between Kazakhstan and Canada, citing the recent visit of Canadian Parliamentary delegation led by the Chairman of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development of the House of Commons, The Honourable Robert Nault to Astana, the capital of the Country of the Great Steppe.

Ms. Skok shared her memories of putting the first bricks of Kazakh-Canada relations in the early 90s of the last century on a fundament that was laid even before the break-up of the USSR. Mr. Kevin Rex noted Kazakhstan's economic development and political stability. He emphasized the significance of Kazakh-Canada cooperation in the peaceful use of nuclear energy.

Source: Embassy of Kazakhstan to Canada Weekly News Review, April 1-15, 2017, Issue No. 215