Roth, a former executive director of Human Rights Watch (HRW), had claimed that if President Paul Kagame was re-elected with 99 percent of the vote it would be a mockery of the electoral process.
“Doesn’t Rwanda’s Paul Kagame realize that when he “wins” an “election” with some 99 percent of the vote, he mocks the whole process, making everyone realize he wanted a charade because he wouldn’t risk a real election,” the activist posted on X as Rwandans in the diaspora exercised their civic duty on July 14.
In a swift response, Makolo told the former head of the Human Rights Watch organization to stop meddling in Rwandan affairs.
“What process, whose process? People like Ken Roth need to get over the fact that they can never teach us how to live. Ever. Rwanda belongs to Rwandans. There’s a process in Ken’s country that needs serious attention – maybe focus on that?” Makolo stated in an apparent reference to the ongoing intense presidential election campaigns in the United States pitting President Joe Biden and former Head of State Donald Trump.
Rwandans in the diaspora went to the polls on Sunday to elect their president and members of parliament, while locals cast their votes on Monday.
Partial results announced by National Electoral Commission chairperson Oda Gasinzigwa on Monday night showed that Kagame of the RPF Inkotanyi party was on course to secure a landslide victory with 99.15 percent of the votes cast. His closest challenger, Frank Habineza of the Democratic Green Party of Rwanda, managed a mere 0.53 percent of the votes, while independent candidate Philippe Mpayimana got 0.32 percent.
Kagame had, during the campaign period, urged foreigners to respect Rwandans’ right to exercise their democracy by electing leaders of their choice.
Addressing a campaign rally in Muhanga District on June 24, 2024, the incumbent took issue with foreigners who claim there is no democracy in Rwanda, based on the fact that in 2003, 2010, and 2017 he was elected with nearly 100% of the votes. He explained that often in their countries, voter turnout is low.
He stated, “There are those who do not understand us, who do not understand Rwanda, but gradually, actions will speak to them. As we said before, 100%—some do not understand that 100% is democracy. How is 100% possible? They claim there is no democracy. I asked someone the other day, ‘Those governed by 15%, and those who voted are around 30% or 40% of those eligible—is that democracy? How so?’”
The RPF candidate emphasized that elections in Rwanda are solely the concern of Rwandans, as they are the ones who choose their leaders to guide them in building their nation. He urged foreign critics of Rwanda’s electoral process to address issues within their own countries instead of focusing on Rwandan elections.
In partial results announced on Monday night, RPF Inkotanyi presidential candidate Paul Kagame is leading with 99.15 percent of the votes cast, followed by Frank Habineza of the Democratic Green Party of Rwanda, who got 0.53 percent of the votes, while independent candidate Philippe Mpayimana managed 0.32 percent.
At the time of the announcement of the results, Kagame had garnered 7,099,810 votes, Habineza had got 38,301 votes, and Mpayimana had obtained 22,753 votes on the national level.
The total number of votes tallied was 7,160,864, which represents 78.94 percent of the votes cast locally and in the diaspora.
While it is evident that Kagame outshined his challengers in all four provinces and the city of Kigali, Mpayimana performed better than Habineza in the diaspora and Western Province.
Kagame secured 38,803 votes (95.40%) from the Rwandan community abroad, Mpayimana came in a distant second with 998 votes (2.45%), followed by Habineza with 874 votes (2.15%).
A similar trend was observed in the Western Province, where Kagame got 1,601,447 votes (99.60%), followed by Mpayimana with 4,646 votes (0.29%), and Habineza with 1,839 votes (0.11%).
Kagame whitewashed the two candidates in the Northern Province to lead with 1,147,962 (99.65%), followed by Habineza who got 3,053 votes (0.27%), and Mpayimana who obtained 955 votes (0.08%).
Similarly, Kagame leads in the Southern Province with 1,592,657 votes (98.60%), followed by Habineza with 11,753 (0.73%) and Mpayimana with 10,855 (0.67%).
In the Eastern Province, Kagame got 1,754,489 votes (99.30%), Habineza came in a distant second with 11,349 (0.64%) followed by Mpayimana with 961 votes (0.05%).
The City of Kigali gave Kagame a boost to secure a landslide victory with 964,452 votes (98.59%), followed by Habineza with 9,433 votes (0.96%) and Mpayimana with 4,338 votes (0.44%).
A total of 9,071,157 Rwandans registered to vote in the 2024 general election. Gasinzigwa said Monday’s voter turnout was 98 percent.
The NEC will announce provisional results on July 20, with final results expected on July 27.
Overall, this year’s results mirror the outcome of the 2017 edition, where Kagame won with 98.8 percent of the votes cast. Mpayimana and Habineza, who also challenged him in the 2017 election, got 0.73 and 0.48 percent of the votes cast respectively.
He said, “We commend the voters on the way they conducted themselves during the voting process. It was smooth and successful,” Munyaneza said in an interview with IGIHE shortly after the election.
He also commended the political parties for respecting the rules and regulations regarding the campaigning process and the voting exercise.
“Today, we did not see any campaigning activities on the streets, at polling stations, or elsewhere, and we thank those who contributed to this,” he emphasized.
Munyaneza noted that although voting commenced beyond the stipulated time in some parts of the country, voter turnout at most polling stations was high.
By press time, voting in some areas was still underway as provided for by the electoral laws in cases where there are valid reasons for voting to continue beyond the designated time.
He indicated that the three districts where voting was extended beyond the designated time are Gasabo, Kamonyi, and Bugesera, but elsewhere vote counting was already underway.
Munyaneza highlighted that the partial results will be announced by the NEC so as to satisfy the curiosity of Rwandans regarding the election process.
He stated, “When we talk about preliminary results, we distinguish them from those provided for by the law. Preliminary results are provided by the National Electoral Commission to give Rwandans an early insight into the election outcomes. It is to satisfy their curiosity by showing them the current state of affairs. However, the law stipulates that the final results are announced five days after the elections.”
He indicated that journalists are allowed to follow the vote-counting process and take photos of how it is progressing.
The report unveiled on Wednesday, June 10, 2024, shows that inflation in urban centres was driven by an increase in the prices of food and beverages, as well as transportation costs.
Between June 2023 and June 2024, the prices of food and beverages increased by 3.1%, while transportation costs saw a significant increase of 23.2% over the past year.
In the same period, prices of milk cheese and eggs in the urban areas increased by 21.1%, meat (10%) and bread and cereals (0.7%).
The cost of non-alcoholic beverages went up by 9.1%, alcoholic beverages, tobacco and narcotics (1.6%), restaurants and hotels 3.1%, and clothing and footwear (5.6%).
Additionally, the cost of accessing health services recorded an increment of 3.0%, housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels increased by 2.0%, education, 1.6% and communication 1.2%. The cost of vegetables reduced by 1.6% and Recreation and culture 0.9% over the same period
There was, however, a silver lining as prices in June 2024 were slightly lower (0.4%) compared to May 2024.
Prices in rural areas decreased slightly compared to both June 2023 (-1.4%) and May 2024 (-0.8%). This resulted in the overall inflation increasing by 1.1 percent annually with a monthly inflation decrease of 0.6 percent.
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Over the past year, prices of locally produced goods increased by 3.8%. However, in June 2024 compared to May 2024, there was a slight decrease of 0.2%.
Prices of imported goods rose significantly by 9% annually. However, similar to local goods, there was a monthly decrease of 0.7% in June 2024.
The cost of fresh produce increased moderately by 3.2% over the year, with a small increase of 0.1% in prices from May to June 2024.
Energy prices saw an annual rise of 3.7%. However, there was a significant drop of 2.3% in June 2024 compared to May 2024.
In May, the National Bank of Rwanda (NBR) cut its monetary policy rate by 50 basis points to 7.0 per cent, citing a stabilizing inflation rate.
Addressing a press conference in Kigali, NBR Governor John Rwangombwa announced that Rwanda’s inflation rate had dropped to 4.7 per cent in the first quarter of 2024 from 8.9 per cent registered in the last quarter of 2023. He added that the bank expects inflation to remain within the target of 5 per cent in 2024 and 2025.
“We expected inflation to ease to around 5% this year, and in the first quarter, we registered an average of 4.7%. We expect this trend to continue for the rest of the year. At least, our average projection for this year is 5%, which is the same projection we have for 2025,” Rwangombwa said.
Ministers drawn from eight EAC member states were in Zanzibar for a three-day retreat to deliberate on ways to foster sustainable peace, enhance security cooperation, and strengthen relationships among partner states. Rwanda was represented by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Olivier Nduhungirehe, and the Minister of State in charge of Regional Cooperation, James Kabarebe.
The ministers expressed concern over the deteriorating humanitarian and security situation in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo, which has escalated tension between the DRC and Rwanda.
The two countries have been at loggerheads in recent years over accusations of supporting armed groups to destabilise each other’s territories. The Rwandan leadership has often questioned the DRC government’s support for the FDLR militia which comprises remnants of the Interahamwe group that perpetrated the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda. On the other hand, the DRC government accuses Rwanda of supporting M23 militia, claims the government has refuted.
At the conclusion of the retreat, the ministers issued a joint statement acknowledging that the viable path to sustainable peace and security in eastern DRC is through a political process. They recommended the convening of a summit of the EAC heads of state to breathe new life into the EAC-led Nairobi peace process.
The Nairobi peace process focuses on resolving internal conflict in the DRC, exacerbated by armed groups including the M23 and FDLR. It aims to achieve peace through dialogue between the DRC government and these armed groups operating in the eastern part of the country.
On the other hand, the Luanda process, led by Angolan President João Lourenço, aims to address the external dimension of the conflict, fueled by the militia counter-accusations. The initiative aims to promote the normalization of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
As part of efforts to resolve the DRC-Rwanda conflict, foreign ministers from both countries agreed to meet at the earliest opportunity to address the interstate dispute in line with the EAC partner framework.
The EAC also stated that the ministers of Rwanda and Burundi had agreed to meet by October 31, 2024, to discuss issues affecting their bilateral relations, which resulted in Burundi shutting its border with Rwanda earlier this year. President Évariste Ndayishimiye accuses Rwanda of backing the DRC-based armed group Red Tabara against his government, claims the Paul Kagame-led administration has refuted on several occasions.
Meanwhile, the EAC ministers also appreciated the humanitarian truce negotiated by the United States of America and recommended that the truce be extended indefinitely.
Speaking ahead of his campaign rally in Gicumbi District, the RPF-Inkotanyi Presidential candidate disclosed that it was the Late Fred Gisa Rwigema who was supposed to be sent to the US for military training. Kagame was meant to go to Nigeria.
Ugandan authorities had picked Fred for the opportunity but it coincided with an existing plan by Rwandan refugees serving in the Ugandan army to initiate a liberation struggle in the early ’90s.
As then, Rwigema decided to decline the opportunity and preferred to stay behind to lead the newly formed military wing of the RPF with a sole aim of toppling the Genocidal regime of the Juvenal Habyarimana.
“That’s how I ended up going to the US,” Kagame said during the interaction with various content creators at Mulindi, where RPF and its army wing, RPA, were headquartered.
Several Rwandans held senior ranks in the military at the time and the Ugandan authorities plotted to send them for training in different countries as part of what President Kagame termed as a plot to destabilize their mission to liberate their own motherland.
“It was not me who was supposed to go for that course. I remember even when I arrived, I had to change the documents because everything was registered in Fred Rwigema’s names,” he disclosed.
“When we started organizing, the Ugandans got to know about it. We were doing it discreetly and even encouraging Rwandans from other parts to join the army. Some of us had had the opportunity of being part of the struggle from the beginning,” he recalls.
According to him, the Ugandan system wanted to disorganize their initial plan by sending the top four Rwandan commanders to attend courses outside the country.
Apart from him and Rwigema, Kagame said, “Peter Baingana was destined for Russia while Chris Bunyenyezi was supposed to be sent to some other place but we all agreed to go by our initial plans otherwise we would have to wait for another five years or something,”
He noted that when his group got to know about it, they decided to act fast. “I talked with Fred and encouraged him not to go anywhere.”
After declining the offer, Rwigema had to be replaced with Kagame.
“Of course, it created a bit of trouble but in the end, he was told that since he had rejected, then I had no choice but to go. They said it had to be either him or me,” he recalls.
To Kagame, this was a clear indication that authorities in the Ugandan army wanted the two separated. They thought if they got rid of one, they would create problems for the other.
“I went back and told Fred that our secrete plans had been discovered. So to avoid a possibility of going to jail, I just accepted the offer otherwise I also did not want,” he reminisces.
He further encouraged Rwigema to go ahead with the plans, promising to find his way back once the implementation stage came.
Unfortunately Rwigema died on the second day of the liberation struggle on October 2, 1990.
His unfortunate death Rwigema forced Kagame to cut short his training in the US and returned to take on the mantle as the leader of struggle.
The RPA forces settled at Mulindi in Gicumbi District, where they established their base. It was at this location that Kagame and the content creators toured and held a conversation ahead of the RPF Inkotanyi presidential candidate’s campaign in the area on Tuesday July 9, 2024.
As a matter of fact, prominent RPF Inkotanyi politicians and senior RPA military officers all stayed at Mulindi during the liberation struggle.
During Tuesday’s engagement, Kagame described an emotional incident when he stayed with his firstborn son, Ivan, in the house for about a week to bond with him.
“When Habyarimana’s plane crashed, the boy was here with me,” Kagame recalled.
All the strategies and meetings that helped the RPA liberate Rwanda, and the ideas used in the Arusha peace talks, were conceived in the area famously known as ‘Umulindi w’Intwari’.
When the Genocide against the Tutsi began on April 7, 1994, it was from this area that the RPA forces emerged to stop it, making Gicumbi among the first districts where RPA forces halted the genocide.
To preserve the liberation history, the National Liberation Museum Park was established at Umulindi w’Intwari to honour the RPA’s fight.
The financing agreement was signed by Rwanda’s Finance Minister, Yusuf Murangwa, and Italy’s Minister of Environment and Energy Security, Gilberto Pichetto.
The funds will be made available through the Italian Climate Fund, managed by Cassa Depositi e Prestiti (CDP) bank.
The financing is part of the Italian Mattei Plan’s energy security approach towards Africa and aims to support Rwanda’s National Climate Action Plan and to bolster Rwanda’s climate policy agenda by enhancing its resilience and adaptive capacity to the impact of global warming.
The Ministry of Finance, however, noted that the allocated resources will be made available upon the achievement of policy and institutional reforms that will “integrate aspects of climate change mitigation and adaptation into the policy and regulatory framework”.
The reforms, the ministry added, will be essential to achieve the national targets for carbon emission reduction.
“Rwanda has placed climate action at the core of its development agenda, as evidenced by our National Determined Contributions (NDCs). To effectively implement the mitigation and adaptation measures outlined in the NDCs, financial, capacity building and technology transfer are essential. Therefore, the agreement we have signed today will significantly contribute to this endeavour, estimated at US$ 11 billion,” Murangwa remarked.
The Italian minister, on his part, expressed confidence in the investment addressing primary drivers of climate-related hazards.
“Italy, through the Climate Fund, continues its efforts to create the best conditions for growth on the African continent. With Rwanda, we will invest in planning, which is necessary to address the major climate issues affecting that region,” the minister stated.
The financing is part of a broader partnership involving multilateral and bilateral financing institutions. These include the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which provided a $319 million Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF) agreement to Rwanda in 2022. Other partners include the World Bank Group, the European Union (EU), the European Investment Bank (EIB), and other European development financing institutions through the Team Europe Initiative.
Rwanda’s climate action journey has been quite remarkable as it was one of the first countries to ban plastic bags in 2008 and single-use plastics in 2019. Under the country’s Vision 2050, Rwanda has a bold vision to become a carbon-neutral and climate-resilient economy by the middle of the century.
The government has an ambitious target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 38% by 2030, equivalent to an estimated mitigation of up to 4.6 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO2e).
The country’s efforts to limit its contribution to climate change and adapt to the consequences of a warming planet over the next decade are estimated at US $11 billion, made up of $5.7 billion for mitigation, and $5.3 billion for adaptation.
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The Rwandan government recently also secured $31 million (approximately RWF 40 billion) to bolster its fight against climate change.
The funding is part of a $61 million investment approved by the governing board of the Climate Investment Funds (CIF) under the Nature, People, and Climate (NPC) investment program to support climate change interventions in the Dominican Republic and Rwanda.
CIF said the funding will help address systemic challenges holding back vulnerable populations in the Kaduha-Gitwe corridor and also support the launch of the Rwanda Wildlife Conservation Bond, an innovative capital market structured bond to promote biodiversity, including endangered chimpanzees. Both projects are implemented by the World Bank and co-financing of up to $283 million is expected.
In the Kaduha-Gitwe corridor, the plan will prioritize the restoration of degraded land and the sustainable management of forests and wetlands.
The pledge translates into the creation of at least 680 jobs per day with a special focus on women and youth, according to the ruling party’s five-year manifesto.
The plan entails a stronger collaboration with the private sector to boost productivity and economic growth over the 2024-2029 period.
Available statistics indicate that the job creation rate has been on an upward trajectory over the last seven years. This is despite the measures put in place to protect the health of the population during the COVID-19 pandemic, which temporarily halted some economic activities.
“By the year 2024, a total of 1,200,000 jobs have been created, representing 80% of the planned target,” the manifesto reads in part.
To achieve the new target, the RPF party plans to continue promoting technical and language skills, improving job market readiness, and supporting entrepreneurs to access capital.
“There will be increased efforts to facilitate small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in accessing capital and enhancing project management skills to create more jobs,” the manifesto adds.
Additionally, the RPF plans to establish a mechanism to increase the number of jobs generated by large projects in various sectors, leveraging existing economic opportunities such as Bugesera International Airport, which is expected to start operations by 2028, Nyagatare Milk Plant, and the newly refurbished Amahoro Stadium.
Other efforts include the creation of a system that would simplify the exchange of information between employers and job seekers.
RPF further commits to promoting and forging partnerships aimed at increasing knowledge and job opportunities in the national, regional, and international job markets through economic diplomacy.
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The ruling party pledges to improve programs that develop technology and science projects, fostering innovation that creates jobs. The Kagame administration also commits to intensified efforts to create new jobs in cross-border services and the creative industry.
If re-elected the RPF administration also promises to enhance the capacity of professional associations and skill providers (sector skills councils) so that the private sector can collaborate with skill providers to identify and focus on job market needs.
Partnerships between the public and private sectors will also be prioritised to help the youth gain practical experience and learn on the job.
Part of the RPF administration’s plan to create new jobs includes expanding local industries with the output projected to grow by at least 13 percent annually until 2029.
To minimise expenditure on imports, plans are underway to set up a glass manufacturing plant for construction materials and bottles for beverage industries.
Further, the party pledges to increase the capacity of existing industries processing agricultural and livestock products with focus being on adding value to products for both domestic and international markets.
At least three new pharmaceutical industries producing medicines and other medical supplies will be established within the next five years.
Other projects include the establishment of a lithium processing plant to add value before export, alongside improvements in the processing of other valuable minerals like gemstones. A plant for manufacturing ceramics, tiles, and other related products is also among the pledges.
The unemployment rate in Rwanda stood at 12.9 percent by the end of the first quarter of 2024, according to the Labour Force survey conducted by the National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda (NISR).
The unemployment rate dropped by 4.3 per cent in the first quarter of 2024. NISR said the significant decline brought back the unemployment rate to the pre-COVID-19 estimate of 13.1 per cent.
The latest trend shows that in the first quarter of 2024, one person was unemployed for every eight people in the labour force.
According to the report, gender disparities persist in unemployment, with females experiencing a higher rate at 14.5 per cent compared to males at 11.5 percent.
Furthermore, youth face a notably higher unemployment rate of 16.6 percent compared to adults at 10.3 percent.
Xi landed earlier in the day in Kazakhstan, where he will also attend the 24th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.
Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev held a grand welcoming ceremony at the airport. On Tuesday evening, the two leaders had a cordial and friendly exchange over dinner in a pleasant and warm atmosphere, discussing issues related to bilateral ties and issues of common concern.
UNIQUE PARTNERSHIP
This is Xi’s fifth visit to Kazakhstan and the second one in less than two years, following his previous state visit in September 2022.
“Thirty-two years ago, China was among the first countries to recognize Kazakhstan’s independence. China-Kazakhstan relations have since embarked on a new journey,” Xi noted in a signed article published in the Kazakh media on Tuesday ahead of his visit.
Meanwhile, in a written statement upon his arrival in Astana, Xi said over the past 32 years since the two countries established diplomatic ties, their relationship has withstood the test of time and the vicissitudes of the international landscape, evolving into a unique permanent comprehensive strategic partnership.
Xi recalled that 11 years ago, he first put forward the initiative of jointly building the Silk Road Economic Belt in Kazakhstan, adding that today, Belt and Road cooperation between China and Kazakhstan has yielded fruitful results.
Two-way economic and trade cooperation has reached new highs, people-to-people and cultural exchanges have featured numerous highlights, and the two sides’ international cooperation has been close and efficient, which has not only improved the well-being of the two peoples, but also injected more stability and positive energy into the international and regional situation, Xi added.
China was Kazakhstan’s largest trading partner in 2023, with two-way trade up by 32 percent year-on-year to reach 41 billion U.S. dollars. Key exports from Kazakhstan to China include crude oil, metals, and agricultural products, and China has supplied Kazakhstan with machinery, electronics, and consumer goods.
Over the past year alone, a number of important agreements have been sealed, including the implementation of a mutual visa-free policy, the construction of a third railway checkpoint, the establishment of cultural centers, and the announcement of 2024 as the “Kazakhstan Tourism Year” in China.
The Kazakhstan-China relationship is built upon strong bonds of solid friendship and good neighborliness, Tokayev told Xinhua in an interview prior to Xi’s visit, noting that bilateral cooperation embarked on a new “golden 30 years” during Xi’s previous visit in 2022, the year marking the 30th anniversary of bilateral ties.
Xi’s visit this time is expected to bring a renewed focus on the multifaceted aspects of bilateral ties and cooperation.
In a series of meetings scheduled with Tokayev, Xi is expected to engage in detailed discussions aimed at further strengthening cooperation between the two nations. In Xi’s words, he and Tokayev will “meet and plan the way forward for further growth of China-Kazakhstan relations and discuss how best to take the China-Kazakhstan permanent comprehensive strategic partnership to new heights.”
“Kazakhstan and China are close neighbors, true friends, and partners. Today, both countries are at a key stage of their development and revival,” said Gulnar Shaimergenova, director of Kazakhstan’s China Studies Center.
The leaders of both countries have opened a new “golden 30 years” of bilateral cooperation, she said, adding that with bilateral relations growing at a high level, it is believed that Xi’s visit this time will open up new prospects for bilateral cooperation.
EVERLASTING FRIENDSHIP
Xi said upon his arrival in Astana that the everlasting friendship of the two nations has grown stronger over time, and set an example of solidarity, mutual benefit, and mutual success between neighboring countries.
“The history of China-Kazakhstan friendly exchanges is a strong testament to the fact that the development of our bilateral relationship conforms to the trend of history and that of our times,” Xi said in his signed article under the title “Staying True to Our Shared Commitment and Opening a New Chapter in China-Kazakhstan Relations.”
Time has provided many heartwarming tales epitomizing the profound friendship between the two countries.
Over 2,000 years ago, Zhang Qian, a royal emissary from China led a diplomatic mission to the Western Regions, opening the door to friendship and exchanges between China and Central Asia. The ancient Silk Road, of which Zhang was a pioneer, contributed to the friendly exchanges and mutual learning between China and Kazakhstan.
And the new era has welcomed more China-Kazakhstan friendship envoys, such as the ophthalmologist Saulebek Kabibekov, the “panda-man” Ruslan Tulenov, who voluntarily donated his rare type of blood in China, and the popular singer Dimash Kudaibergen.
The everlasting friendship was also fully manifested through the inviting ambience at the airport in Astana upon Xi’s arrival.
“On the vast and beautiful land stands our beloved homeland. We love peace, we love our hometown. The unity and mutual love make us steel-like strong,” a group of Kazakh teenagers, in white costumes, greeted Xi at the airport with the song “Ode to the Motherland” in Chinese lyrics in a show of respect and warm welcome of the Kazakh people for Xi.
At the airport, Tokayev greeted Xi together with a team of senior government officials. Xi chatted occasionally with Tokayev, who can speak fluent Chinese as he began learning Chinese when he was in college. In his recent interview with Xinhua, Tokayev said he now reads books in Chinese regularly and stays informed about Chinese political and socio-economic development.
For long, China and Kazakhstan have recognized the importance of fostering greater understanding and friendship between their peoples, viewing cultural exchanges as one major cornerstone of their bilateral relationship.
A bilateral agreement on mutual establishment of cultural centers has been signed. Chinese and Kazakh filmmakers have co-produced a film entitled “The Composer,” their first co-production. Bilateral programs for cultural cooperation, including a Chinese university campus in Kazakhstan, a Luban Workshop, and a center of traditional Chinese medicine, have been implemented.
Thanks to the mutual visa-exemption arrangements, a total of 600,000 cross-border trips were recorded in 2023. In the first quarter of this year, the number of visits in both directions amounted to 200,000 and are expected to reach a new high, official data from both sides have shown.
“Cultural and people-to-people cooperation plays an important role in strengthening bilateral ties and fostering friendship between the peoples of our countries,” Tokayev said.
“Our two countries need to strengthen public support for an everlasting China-Kazakhstan friendship. A deeper and stronger China-Kazakhstan friendship is what our two peoples aspire to. It is therefore important that we carry forward such friendship and enhance mutual understanding and affinity between our peoples through a diverse range of cultural and people-to-people exchange programs,” Xi said in his signed article.
Xi made the remarks when meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin ahead of the 24th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Astana.
He noted that President Putin paid a successful state visit to China this May, saying that the two sides are working together to make plans and arrangements for the future development of bilateral relations at the important historical juncture of the 75th anniversary of diplomatic ties between China and Russia.
Facing an international situation fraught with turbulence and changes, the two countries should keep upholding the original aspiration of lasting friendship, and sticking to the determination of benefiting the people, Xi said.
He urged China and Russia to continuously conserve the unique value in China-Russia relations, and explore the internal driving force of bilateral cooperation, saying that the two countries should also make new efforts to safeguard their legitimate rights and interests and safeguard the basic norms governing international relations.
China supports Russia in fulfilling its responsibilities as BRICS chair, uniting the “Global South,” preventing a “new Cold War” and opposing illegal unilateral sanctions and hegemonism, he said.
Noting that the SCO Astana summit will be held on Thursday, Xi said the Chinese side looks forward to working with Russia and other member states to promote the steady and long-term development of the SCO and build an even closer SCO community with a shared future.
China and Russia, Xi said, should continue to strengthen comprehensive strategic coordination, oppose external interference and jointly safeguard regional tranquility and stability.
For his part, Putin thanked Xi for warmly receiving him on his state visit to China in May, recalling that they celebrated the 75th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Russia and China and made plans for the future development of Russia-China relations.
At present, Russia-China relations are at the highest level in history, Putin said, adding that the two sides respect each other, and treat each other with equality and mutual benefit.
He also said that Russia-China relations feature non-alignment and do not target at any third party, which conforms to the well-being of the two peoples.
Russia, he said, supports China in safeguarding its core interests and legitimate rights and interests, and opposes external interference in China’s internal affairs and the South China Sea issue.
Noting that China will soon take over the rotating presidency of the SCO, he said Russia will fully support China’s work and work with other member states to continuously enhance the international influence of the organization, safeguard regional peace and security, and promote the development of the international system in a more just and equitable direction.
As the rotating chair of BRICS this year, Russia looks forward to strengthening communication and coordination with China on BRICS cooperation, he added.
The two heads of state also exchanged views on international and regional issues of common concern.
Xi stressed that China always stands on the right side of history, adheres to promoting peace talks, and is willing to continue to make positive efforts for the political settlement of the Ukraine crisis and other regional hotspot issues.
