Culture Minister Mustafa Al-Rawashdeh today, Sunday, opened the historical and documentary photo exhibition "Republic of Kazakhstan and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan: A History of Cooperation" at the Royal Cultural Centre. The exhibition, organised by the Embassy of the Republic of Kazakhstan in the Kingdom, documents milestones in the bilateral relationship between the two friendly countries.
اضافة اعلان
According to a ministry statement today, the opening was attended by the Secretary-General of the Ministry of Culture, Dr Nidal Al-Ahmad; the Ambassador of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the Kingdom, Talgat Shaldanbay; several ambassadors and members of the diplomatic corps accredited to the Kingdom; and a number of people interested in cultural and diplomatic affairs.
In his address at the opening, Al-Ahmad said the exhibition offers a space to revive shared memory and document a history of communication and understanding between the two countries. He said it reflects the depth of the ties that have united the Jordanian and Kazakh peoples over the years, based on friendship, mutual respect and joint cooperation.
He pointed to both countries' determination to lay institutional foundations for cultural cooperation, embodied in a number of agreements and memoranda of understanding. These include the cultural cooperation agreement signed in 2005, the bilateral cooperation agreement signed in Amman in 2006, and the memorandum of understanding signed in 2025 between the Jordanian National Library Department and the Archive of the President of Kazakhstan in the field of documents and archives, which strengthens cooperation in preserving historical memory and exchanging expertise.
He noted that among the most prominent milestones of cultural cooperation between the two countries was Jordan's hosting of Kazakh Cultural Days in 2009, which included craft and jewellery exhibitions and music performances in several Jordanian governorates, and the organisation of Kazakh Film Days in Amman in 2010. He also cited Kazakh artistic participation at the Jerash Festival for Culture and Arts, which was renewed this year with performances by the groups "Aqo" and "Arka Sazy" as part of the 2026 festival programme.
Al-Ahmad recalled that a major street in the Kazakh capital, Astana, was named after the late King Hussein bin Talal on 20 May 2014, in memory of him and in recognition of his standing and contribution to strengthening friendship between the two countries.
He said the ministry looks forward to building on the cooperation achieved and expanding cultural partnership with Kazakhstan, particularly in protecting intangible cultural heritage, using modern technologies and artificial intelligence to document it, strengthening the cultural and creative industries, and encouraging the translation of literary and intellectual works between Arabic and Kazakh.
He stressed the importance of organising reciprocal cultural weeks and expanding participation in major cultural and artistic events in both countries, foremost among them the Jerash Festival for Culture and Arts and the Amman International Book Fair.
For his part, Ambassador Shaldanbay expressed his country's pride in the Jordanian-Kazakh relationship, which dates back to the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries in 1993. He said the relationship has seen continuous development in political dialogue, economic partnership, and cultural and humanitarian cooperation.
He conveyed his country's sincere condolences to the families of the victims and to the Jordanian people, and Kazakhstan's solidarity with the Kingdom. He noted that the embassy had decided to postpone the exhibition, originally scheduled for 25 October, to coincide with his country's Republic Day celebrations, because Jordan had declared a national mourning period.
He said bilateral relations have gained increasing momentum in recent years, supported by high-level reciprocal visits, most notably the visit of Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to Jordan in 2025, and two visits by His Majesty King Abdullah II to Kazakhstan, in 2025 and in November 2026.
The ambassador affirmed that the two countries share close positions on many regional and international issues, and are bound by a commitment to peace, stability, dialogue, tolerance and respect for cultural and religious diversity. He noted his country's appreciation for Jordan's efforts to make peace and strengthen stability in the region, and its support for the Kingdom's special role and efforts in guarding the Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem.
He added that the exhibition presents, through archival documents and photographs, the main milestones in the development of political, economic, cultural and humanitarian relations between the two countries, and expressed his hope that it will help provide a deeper understanding of the history of these relations and their future prospects.
He commended the efforts of the Ministry of Culture and the Royal Cultural Centre in supporting the exhibition, stressing the importance of continued cultural cooperation and of strengthening communication between the two friendly peoples.
The minister, the Secretary-General and the Kazakh ambassador, along with other attendees, toured the exhibition.
