Emirates Post Group and Kazpost, the national postal corporation of the Republic of Kazakhstan, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, to issue joint stamps featuring UAE President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev, as part of increased postal cooperation between the UAE and Kazakhstan.

The MoU was signed by the head of the Kazakh delegation, Bagdat Mussin, Chairman of the Board of Kazpost and Ibrahim Bin Karam, Chief Commercial Officer of EPG, in the presence of Khairat Lama Sharif, Ambassador of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Fahad Al Hosani, Acting CEO of EPG, Abdullah Al Ashram, CEO of Emirates Post, and senior officials from both sides, at the EPG head office in Dubai.

The postage stamps, dedicated to development of stronger relations between Kazakhstan and UAE, will be issued along with first day covers and special postmarks. The stamps, designed by the philatelic departments of EPG and Kazpost, are being released ahead of EXPO-2017, which will be held in Kazakhstan from June to September 2017, with participation of more than 100 countries.

Before the signing ceremony, EPG made a presentation to the visiting delegation on postal and non-postal services offered at UAE post offices. The delegation showed keen interest in EPG services and expressed their desire to expand bilateral relations and exchange of expertise.

"Emirates Post Group is keen to expand postal relations with countries across the globe, as the UAE continues its march of progress. The issuing of stamps reciprocally by EPG and Kazpost will mark a new chapter in the history of postal relations between UAE and Kazakhstan. We are delighted to celebrate our bilateral cooperation through these special stamps," said Al Hosani.

Ibrahim Bin Karam said, "The joint issue of stamps featuring both countries' Presidents will be a historic occasion in bilateral relations between Kazakhstan and UAE. We are confident that the initiative will boost not only postal relations but also cultural and economic ties between us, especially ahead of Expo-2017 to be held in Kazakhstan."

The Kazpost delegation visited EPG's Mail Sorting Centre in Ramool, and viewed the advanced and high-speed sorting machines. During their tour to the Central Post Office in Karama, the delegation were impressed by the standards of customer service. They also visited the Electronic Documents Centre, the mail fulfilment and card printing division of EPG, and were impressed by the high standards and high-security procedures followed at the centre.

As part of the MoU, there will be more exchanges of postal expertise and cultural understanding between the two sides. It will also help boost postal services between the UAE and Kazakhstan.