His Excellency Mr. Nursultan Nazarbayev, the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, paid a State Visit to India from 23rd to 26th January 2009 at the invitation of Smt. Pratibha Devisingh Patil, President of the Republic of India. He participated as the Guest of Honour in India’s 60th Republic Day Celebrations on 26th January 2009. The Kazakh President was accompanied by a high level delegation and a group of businessmen and industrialists.

During the State Visit, H.E. Mr Nursultan Nazarbayev held talks with Smt Pratibha Devisingh Patil, President of the Republic of India and attended a State Banquet at Rashtrapati Bhavan. He also met the Vice President of India, the External Affairs Minister, the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha and the Chairperson of United Progressive Alliance who called on him.

The State Visit provided an opportunity to reaffirm bilateral ties at the highest political level and to exchange views on regional and global issues of mutual interest. The two Sides noted with satisfaction the excellent state of friendly relations and cooperation between India and Kazakhstan and expressed their firm commitment to further strengthen bilateral relations and diversify areas of cooperation.

During the visit, India and Kazakhstan agreed to establish and develop a Strategic Partnership based on the principles of sovereignty and equality. The strategic partnership foresees comprehensive cooperation in all spheres, including political, economic, science and technology, military and technical cooperation, counter-terrorism mechanism, education and human resources development.

A number of key agreements were signed during the visit, which included Memorandum of Understanding between Nuclear Power Corporation of India and National Atomic Company Kazatomprom JSC , signing of Heads of Agreement between ONGC Mittal Energy Ltd. and National Company KazMunaiGaz JSC in respect of Satpayev Block , signing of Bilateral Protocol of Accession of Kazakhstan to the World Trade Organization and an Extradition Treaty between the two countries and signing of MoU on Space Cooperation between the National Space Agency of Kazakhstan and the Indian Space Research Organisation.

A business meeting was organized by ASSOCHAM, Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), FICCI in New Delhi on 24 January 2009. H.E Mr Nursultan Nazarbayev, President of Kazakhstan addressed the forum and outlined the investment opportunities for Indian Industry in Kazakhstan , the friendly investment climate in Kazakhstan and extolled Indian businessmen to invest in Kazakhstan. The business meeting was a great success and generated awareness and immense interest in the Indian Industry about the business opportunities in Kazakhstan.

The visit of President Nursultan Nazarbayev to India has boosted bilateral relations between the two countries and laid a firm foundation for future cooperation between India and Kazakhstan.

H.E. Nursultan Nazarbayev paying floral tributes at the Samadhi of Mahatma Gandhi
at Rajghat in New Delhi on 24 January 2009

H.E. Nursultan Nazarbayev being received by the President H.E. Smt Partibha Devisingh Patil
at the ceremonial reception at Rashtrapathi Bhavan in New Delhi on 24 January 2009

H.E. Nursultan Nazarbayev with the President H.E. Smt Partibha Devisingh Patil
and the External Affairs Minister Mr Pranab Mukherjee at Rashtrapathi Bhavan
on 24 January 2009

H.E. Nursultan Nazarbayev inspecting the guard of honour at the ceremonial
reception at Rashtrapathi Bhavan on 24 January 09

H.E. Nursultan Nazarbayev addressing the media at the ceremonial reception
at Rashtrapathi Bhavan on 24 January 09

H.E. Nursultan Nazarbayev and the President H.E. Smt Pratibha Devisingh Patil
at delegation level talks in New Delhi on 24 January 2009

H.E. Nursultan Nazarbayev in discussion with President H.E. Smt Pratibha Devisingh Patil
on 24 January 2009

H.E. Mr Marat Tazhin, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Kazakhstan and H.E Mr Pranab Mukherjee, Minister for External Affairs, India signing and exchanging documents of Agreement on bilateral Extradition Treaty in the presence of both the Presidents

Dr. Talgat Mussabayev , Chairman National Space Agency of Kazakhstan and Mr SK Jain, Scientific Secretary of Indian Space Research Organisation, India signing and exchanging the bilateral MoU on Space Cooperation in the presence of both the Presidents

Mr Kairgeldi Kabbyldin, President of KazMunaiGaz and Mr RS Butola, Managing Director
of ONGC Videsh Limited signing and exchanging the documents on the agreement between ONGC Mittal Energy and KazMunai Gaz in the presence of both the Presidents

H.E. Dr Vladmir Sholtnik, Minister of Industry and Trade, Kazakhstan and
H.E. Mr Jairam Ramesh signing and exchanging the documents on bilateral agreement
on Protocol on the Accession of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the World Trade
Organisation in the presence of both the Presidents

H.E. Mr Nursultan Nazarbayev, President of Kazakhstan meeting H.E. Mr Mohammad Hamid Ansari, Vice President of India on 24 January 2009

H.E. Mr Nursultan Nazarbayev, President of Kazakhstan meeting Mrs Sonia Gandhi, Chairperson of the UPA on 24 January 2009

H.E. Mr Nursultan Nazarbayev, President of Kazakhstan meeting H.E. Mr Pranab Mukherjee, Union Minister for External Affairs on 24 January 2009

H.E. Mr Nursultan Nazarbayev, President of Kazakhstan meeting H.E. Mr Murli Deora,
Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas on 24 January 2009

H.E. Mr Nursultan Nazarbayev, President of Kazakhstan visiting Humayun’s Tomb
in New Delhi on 25 January 2009

H.E. Mr Nursultan Nazarbayev, President of Kazakhstan, Chief Guest and the President of India H.E. Smt Pratibha Devisingh Patil being received by the Defence Minister H.E. Mr AK Antony at the 60th Republic Day Parade – 2009, in New Delhi on 26 January 2009

H.E. Mr Nursultan Nazarbayev, President of Kazakhstan, Chief Guest, the President of India
H.E. Smt Pratibha Devisingh Patil and the Vice President H.E. Mr Mohammad Hamid Ansari at the saluting dias during the 60th Republic Day Parade – 2009, in New Delhi on 26 January 2009

H.E. Mr Nursultan Nazarbayev, President of Kazakhstan, Chief Guest being received by
H.E. Smt Pratibha Devisingh Patil , President of India on the occasion of the ‘At Home’ ceremony, at Rashtrapathi Bhavan in New Delhi on 26 January 2009

H.E. Mr Nursultan Nazarbayev, President of Kazakhstan, Chief Guest ,H.E. Smt Pratibha Devisingh Patil , President of India, H.E. Mr Mohammad Hamid Ansari, Vice President and
Smt Sonia Gandhi, Chairperson UPA on the occasion of the ‘At Home’ ceremony, at Rashtrapathi Bhavan in New Delhi on 26 January 2009

H.E. Mr Nursultan Nazarbayev, President of Kazakhstan, Chief Guest ,H.E. Smt Pratibha Devisingh Patil , President of India, H.E. Mr Mohammad Hamid Ansari, Vice President and
Shri Somnath Chatterjee, Speaker, Lok Sabha on the occasion of the ‘At Home’ ceremony,
at Rashtrapathi Bhavan in New Delhi on 26 January 2009