A five-day training seminar organized by the National Library and Archives of the United Arab Emirates has concluded at the Archive of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The programme marked another practical step in strengthening cooperation between the two institutions, which in recent years has expanded to encompass professional knowledge exchange, educational initiatives, and support for international projects in the archival field.

Twenty-six staff members of the Archive of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan from Astana and Almaty took part in the training. Throughout the week, participants studied modern approaches to records and archives management, international archival standards, archival arrangement and description, electronic archives management, and the digitization of archival holdings.

Summing up the programme, Director of the Archive of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Aliya Mustafina recalled that the proposal to organize training for Kazakhstani archival specialists was first made during the 2025 visit of His Excellency Abdulla Majed Al Ali, Director-General of the National Library and Archives of the UAE, to the Archive of the President of Kazakhstan. The initiative was received with great enthusiasm by the Kazakh side.

"As our distinguished lecturer, Dr. Soufiane Bouharrat, repeatedly emphasized, one of the fundamental conditions for the development of the archival profession is the continuous evaluation of our own practices and a constant commitment to improvement. In this regard, the lectures provided us with a valuable opportunity to compare and assess our respective approaches to archival work. We are pleased to see that this exchange of experience has demonstrated a remarkable similarity in our professional approaches and guiding principles," said Director of the Archive Aliya Mustafina.

In turn, Dr. Hamad Abdullah Al Mutairi, Executive Director of the National Library and Archives of the UAE, noted that the they regard the Archive of the President of Kazakhstan as one of its most valued partners and highly appreciates the atmosphere of openness, cooperation, and knowledge sharing that has developed over recent years. According to him, the partnership extends far beyond the technical aspects of archival work and contributes to preserving institutional and national memory, ensuring accountability, and supporting good governance.

"Together, we have laid the foundation for a new chapter in our cooperation in records and archives management. Our discussions have not been merely technical; they have focused on such essential issues as preserving institutional and national memory, ensuring accountability, and supporting good governance. These conversations remind us that archives are not only about preserving the past, but also about helping shape the future. As ICA Vice-President for Programme, I see tremendous value in fostering international partnerships such as the one we have built over the past few days," Dr. Hamad Abdullah Al Mutairi emphasized.

At the conclusion of the seminar, both sides reaffirmed their commitment to further expanding their partnership through new educational and professional initiatives, as well as continued cooperation and exchange of experience in archives and records management.

Cooperation between the Archive of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the National Library and Archives of the UAE has been developing under a Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2023 during the visit of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, to the United Arab Emirates. Since then, the two institutions have implemented a number of joint initiatives. Most recently, the Emirati colleagues played an active role in the 3rd Congress of Archivists, Digital Archive EXPO, held in Astana in June 2026.