President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev paid an official visit to Kazakhstan on June10-11, in 1997, at the invitation of the President of Kazakhstan. The aim of the visit was to restore the relations in all the fields between the two countries and to improve cooperation. Thus, establishment of the mutual relations between the two countries coincides with the period under the domination of the Soviet Union.
On the 10th of June at the meeting with President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev the Azerbaijani President Heydar Aliyev emphasized that he appreciated this visit as an important event in the Azerbaijani-Kazakh relations and in the life of Azerbaijan. He mentioned that the support of the Kazakh people and the President in the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict over Nagorno Karabakh was always felt, and stressed that Kazakhstan from the beginning of the conflict supported the territorial integrity and indivisibility of Azerbaijan.
On the same day a number of important interstate and intergovernmental documents were signed between Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan. Agreements on the application of visa-free regime, on free trade, on legal assistance and judicial relations on the civil issues, and on the main principles of cooperation in the field of petroleum engineering were signed between the governments of Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan.
After the signature ceremony the Azerbaijani President Heydar Aliyev made a statement in the joint press conference: «Our people have common historical roots, rich history, rich close and similar traditions. Not only our history, but also historical events also connect us. However, after gaining independence a new stage appeared in the lives of our countries and people.»
On June 11, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev made a speech in the Kazakh parliament, - both in the senate and the assembly.
On the same day an honorary diploma of Kazakh National State University named after Al-Farabi was presented to the Azerbaijani President. After the ceremony he met the representatives of the Azerbaijani lobby in Kazakhstan and expressed his gratitude in the interview with Kazakh journalists for the attitude towards the Azerbaijanis in Kazakhstan.
President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev talked about the importance of the visit and stated at the final meeting with the Kazakh businessmen in the end of the official visit: «Yesterday we signed an important document on deepening and development of the cooperation between Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan. This document has a deep meaning and content. It determines the character of partnership relations and character of the strategic partnership of Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan.
We signed a memorandum on the oil production in Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan and on the transportation of oil and gas to the international markets through the Caspian Sea. This document lays the foundation for the further cooperation between Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan both in the Caspian basin and in the field of oil and gas industry.»
Today Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan actively cooperate in the fields politics, economy, culture and in international organizations.