Kazakhstan-Azerbaijan Intergovernmental Commission Convenes for 20th Meeting in Astana

The 20th meeting of the Kazakhstan-Azerbaijan Intergovernmental Commission is taking place in Astana. The plenary session was opened with introductory remarks by the Minister of Transport of Kazakhstan, Marat Karabayev, and the Minister of Energy of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Parviz Shahbazov.

According to the Minister of Transport, in preparation for the meeting, 5 expert-level meetings were held with the participation of relevant state bodies and organizations from Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan. “We were able to promptly and thoroughly work on the agenda of our meeting, which once again confirms the friendly and warm relations between our fraternal peoples. The Comprehensive Program between Kazakhstan and the Republic of Azerbaijan for 2022-2026, signed by our Heads of State, makes a special contribution to the development of bilateral relations,” shared Marat Karabayev.

Good results are noted in the transport sector. For example, last year saw a 1.5-fold increase in the volume of freight transportation between Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan, reaching 4.3 million tons.

As for the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, the volume for 2023 increased by 65%, totaling 2.8 million tons of cargo. This year, an additional 43% increase in cargo transportation volume is planned for the TCITR.

The Minister highlighted important infrastructure projects planned for the future, which could be financed by the newly established Kazakhstan-Azerbaijan Investment Fund between JSC “National Welfare Fund “Samruk-Kazyna” and the Azerbaijani Investment Holding. One of the fund’s objectives will be the development of port infrastructure in our countries.

Overall, the draft protocol of the commission meeting includes topics related to trade, transport, energy, digitalization, industry, agriculture, education, culture, and tourism. It is worth noting that this meeting is taking place ahead of the official visit of the President of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, to the Republic of Azerbaijan.

Additionally, a bilateral meeting of the co-chairs of the Intergovernmental Commission took place during the event. In conclusion, the head of the agency expressed gratitude to Azerbaijani colleagues for their promptness in addressing industry issues.