(MENAFN- Trend News Agency)
BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 24. Kazakhstan and
Azerbaijan are united not only by economic interests but also by
rich cultural and historical ties based largely on common Turkic
roots, Trend reports via an article of Kazinform Kazakh news agency dedicated to
the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations
between the two countries.
This year is significant for the diplomatic relations between
Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan, which were established on August 27,
1992.
The key points that determine the level of relations include the
Agreement on Strategic Partnership and Allied Relations, signed in
2005 in Azerbaijan's Baku, which became the first strategic
document that highlights the deep roots of friendship and allied
relations between the two countries.
'Both post-Soviet countries openly support each other's
sovereignty and territorial integrity not only by words but also by
concrete actions. A multi-vector and balanced foreign policy
demonstrate resilience to modern challenges, including the
geopolitical turbulence observed in recent months in the world,'
the article says.
Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan have an extensive contractual and
legal base today, numbering about 90 documents of various nature,
including interstate treaties, intergovernmental agreements,
etc.
'The basis of bilateral relations between Azerbaijan and
Kazakhstan includes not only political but also economic relations.
Today, Azerbaijan is a key trade and economic partner of Kazakhstan
in the South Caucasus,' states in the article.
Thus, according to the National Bank of Kazakhstan, the volume
of attracted investments from Azerbaijan amounted to $306.5 million
from 2005-2020. Azerbaijan invested $12.7 million in 2018-2019
($5.1 million and $7.6 million, respectively), while Kazakhstan
invested $75.7 million in Azerbaijan during this period. At the
same time, most of the investments were made in the past three
years – $45.4 million (in 2018 – $3.7 million, in 2019 – $12.9
million, in 2020 – $28.8 million).
Kazakhstan mainly exported special-purpose floating vehicles,
railway locomotives, petroleum products, wheat, and flour
confectionery to Azerbaijan, while Azerbaijan exported polymers of
propylene and ethylene, textile packaging products, wires, cables,
apples, pears, quince, etc. to Kazakhstan
Certain development is needed in order to expand transit and
transport cooperation in connection with the reorientation of
export cargo flows from China to Europe on the Trans-Caspian
International Transport Route (TITR).
As the representative of the Ministry of Industry and
Infrastructure Development of Kazakhstan Zeynulla Akhmetzhanov said
in an interview with inbusiness.kz Kazakhstan's Government has
already started implementing a number of infrastructure projects
aimed at expanding existing capacities.
'Work has already begun on the construction of a second road
with a length of 840 km from the border with China to Central
Kazakhstan, a new railway line bypassing Almaty, the creation of a
container hub in the seaport of Aktau and a ferry crossing.
Kazakhstan doesn't have its own ferries yet, therefore the country
is temporarily renting them from Azerbaijan,' Akhmetzhanov
said.
According to him, all roads should be built within the next
three years, as for ferries, the first four should be ready by
2026. The remaining six – by 2030.
In addition, a trilateral meeting of the Ministers of Foreign
Affairs of Azerbaijan, Türkiye and Kazakhstan and responsible
persons in the transport sector took place recently.
During the meeting, the Parties stressed the importance of
increasing the volume of cargo transportation on the
Azerbaijan-Türkiye-Kazakhstan corridor section for the development
of trade relations along the Asia-Europe route and the
diversification of transport routes. Thereby, transit and transport
and logistics cooperation within this corridor remain one of the
main drivers of mutually beneficial bilateral partnership,'
Kazinform says.
The volume of traffic between Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan
increased by 149 percent from January through February 2022
compared to the same period in 2021.
'Both countries today show some interest in close cooperation
between the Kazakh seaports of Aktau and Kuryk with the capacity of
26 million tons and the Azerbaijani seaport of Alat, which has a
capacity of 15 million tons of dry cargo and 100,000 containers,'
the article notes.
It's well known that Azerbaijan plays the role of a bridge in
the transportation of energy resources from Asia to Europe.
'Today, negotiations are underway between KazMunayGas
State-owned Oil and Gas Company of Kazakhstan and SOCAR State Oil
Company of Azerbaijan on the transportation of a significant part
of Kazakhstan's oil along the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan route. The output
of 1.5 million barrels of Kazakh oil per year to the world market
is forecasted,' Kazinform reports.
In turn, the Director of the Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic
Studies under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Yerkin
Tukumov said at a meeting of the first Kazakh-Azerbaijani expert
council that the full potential of relations between Kazakhstan and
Azerbaijan has not yet been realized.
'Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan are united not only by economic
interests but also by rich cultural and historical ties based
largely on common Turkic roots. For both countries, this is an
important element of foreign and domestic policy, which makes it
possible to emphasize ethnocultural affinity and spiritual
closeness,' the article in Kazinform concludes.
Therefore, during the visit of the President of Kazakhstan
Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to Azerbaijan, the focus will certainly be on
the development of strategic partnership and the expansion of
comprehensive cooperation in the light of changing realities in the
region.
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