A few momentous documents were signed yesterday in Astana by the RK finance minister Bolat Zhamishev and his Swiss colleague Hans-Rudof Merz. These are a protocol between Kazakhstan Government and the Swiss Federal council on dual taxation avoidance and a Memorandum between the RK Government and the Swiss Confederation on mutual understanding and cooperation in Breton-Wood institutions.

The protocol pursues stable tax relations, elimination of dual taxation, exchange of information improving thereby the investment climate and establishing closer economic ties between the two states.

To Switzerland Kazakhstan is a second partner after Russia in the external trade volume, and to Kazakhstan Switzerland is the country that accounts for 60% of the turnover with Europe. -In Kazakhstan there are 37 Kazakhstan-Swiss JVs, Bolat Zhamishev observed.

Hans-Rudof Merz in his turn confirmed mutual interest in cooperation.

The RK Government resolved to join the Swiss group of the IMF and the WB group, which the signed memorandum implies.