Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev signs the visitors' book at Hong Kong Government House yesterday with Chief Executive Donald Tsang keeping him company. Nazarbayev is in Hong Kong as part of a wider tour of China to foster greater economic ties between the two countries.

Hong Kong signed an air-services agreement with Kazakhstan yesterday to bolster bilateral cultural, trade and economic ties, the 58th such pact with overseas partners. Secretary for Economic Development & Labour Stephen Ip and Kazakhstan's Minister of Transport Communication Serik Akhmetov signed the agreement.

Kazakhstan that lies between Asia and Europe is Hong Kong's first aviation partner in Central Asia.

Ip said the agreement provides a legal framework for the establishment of air links between Hong Kong and the country.

"To enhance Hong Kong's position as an international and regional aviation centre, we will continue to expand our air-services network in line with our progressive liberalization policy," Ip said.