Putin and Tokayev hold talks in Bishkek

Russian President Vladimir Putin has congratulated his Kazakh counterpart, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, on the results of the parliamentary elections in his country.

"I would like to congratulate you, this time in person, on the results of the parliamentary elections," he said, greeting the Kazakh leader on the sidelines of the summit of the SCO member states.

"I would like to note the high voter turnout and, what is most important, the results of the voting, which demonstrate that the people of Kazakhstan support your course toward Kazakhstan’s further development, strengthening its political stability, developing its economy and resolving a wide range of issues related to the country’s social life and people’s living standards," Putin said.

The Russian President  has described Russia’s relations with Kazakhstan as a "two-way street."

"Our bilateral relations are developing dynamically practically in all spheres. <…> It's a two-way street practically on all issues and now we have an opportunity to speak on this entire range of issues," Putin said.

The Russian president noted that trade between the two countries has grown this year.

"We are working on a wide range of issues. Our agenda includes both large-scale projects and current matters. I am convinced that all of the can be and are being resolved. The intergovernmental commission is working robustly. I think we should thank our colleagues for their activity, for implementing all of our agreements," Putin said.

He also noted that Moscow and Astana are developing humanitarian cooperation. Some 60,000 Kazakh students are receiving education in Russian universities, the head of state recalled.

Tokayev said that Kazakhs and Russians have historically never had any conflicts in their political and interreligious relations. He supported Putin’s point of view on the development of humanitarian contacts and noted that this is "extremely important".

"These contacts, these interactions have been developing over many years, if not centuries. We have never had a conflict in our history between Kazakhs and Russians in terms of interreligious relations or any political relations," Tokayev said.

According to the Kazakh leader, if any minor conflicts arose, they were due to "purely economic disputes.".