The Holy See and Kazakhstan have signed a new bilateral agreement aimed at strengthening the ties of cooperation and simplifying the visa approval process for those expatriate church members who travel to Kazakhstan to serve.
(Vatican News Network)The Holy See and the Republic of Kazakhstan signed an agreement on September 14 at the headquarters of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Nur-Sultan, the capital of Kazakhstan. According to the announcement of the Holy See Press Office, the signatory on behalf of the Holy See is Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, Secretary General of the Department for Relations with States and International Organizations of the Holy See State Department, and the Deputy Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister of Kazakhstan. Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tileuberdi. The agreement was signed in the context of Pope Francis’ visit to Kazakhstan from September 13 to 15 to take part in the Seventh Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions.
The purpose of this new agreement is to implement Article 2 of the 1998 bilateral agreement, which simplifies the procedures for issuing visas and residence permits for those of Churches and Religions who travel to Kazakhstan from abroad to work in the pastoral care of Catholics. A statement from the Holy See Press Office said the new agreement contains “a preamble and eight paragraphs”. The document “further strengthens the existing ties of friendship and cooperation between the two sides”. This agreement will come into effect after the exchange of approval documents.
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