Krishna heads to Kazakhstan, energy tops agenda

External Affairs Minister SM Krishna today headed to Kazakhstan, the oil-rich Central Asian nation, for a three-day visit during which the two countries will firm up a road-map for taking their ties to a new level.

External Affairs Minister SM Krishna on Tuesday headed to Kazakhstan, the oil-rich Central Asian nation, for a three-day visit during which the two countries will firm up a road-map for taking their ties to a new level.

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Krishna was accompanied by officials of the external affairs, petroleum and atomic energy ministries.

Krishna and his Kazakh counterpart Kanat Saudabayev will hold delegation-level discussions Wednesday on a cluster of issues, including expanded economic, energy and security ties between the two countries.

The discussions will focus on finalising a roadmap and setting concrete benchmarks for implementing decisions taken during Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev's visit to India in January 2009.

Discussions on finalising an agreement on the Satpayev oil block and an intergovernmental umbrella agreement on wide-ranging cooperation in civil nuclear energy are expected to top the agenda.

A business delegation comprising top Indian companies is also accompanying Krishna on this visit to Kazakh capital Astana.