ASTANA – Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev will pay a state visit to Azerbaijan on March 11-12, reported Akorda press service.
Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Ilham Aliyev in Astana. April, 2023. Photo credit: Akorda
As part of the visit, Tokayev plans to hold talks with President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and participate in the first meeting of the Kazakh-Azerbaijani Supreme Interstate Council.
In a recent interview with Azerbaijan’s APA information agency, Tokayev outlined that modern Kazakh-Azerbaijani relations are on the rise. The sides are taking measures to build up contacts in the political, trade and economic, transit and transport, energy, agricultural, cultural, humanitarian, and other spheres.
“Kazakh and Azerbaijani peoples have gone through many trials. We have common roots, related languages, and similar cultures. Today we are building our common future together,” Tokayev said.
Commenting on the upcoming visit, political expert Gaziz Abishev wrote in his Telegram post that Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan have excellent prospects for efficient cooperation. Since 2020, trade turnover has increased five times to $529 million, and the states have more to offer. Abishev mentioned several key projects on the agenda.
“The Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR), or the Middle Corridor, plays significant role not only for the diversification of trade routes and the economic security of Kazakhstan, but also it is an important project for the entire Greater Eurasia space, strengthening land transport links between Europe and Asia,” he wrote.
According to Abishev, in the coming years, Kazakhstan expects the cargo flow to increase to 10 million tons per year along the route. For this purpose, it plans to modernize seaports, join the efforts of railway companies of Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, and Georgia, and invest in the digitalization of the logistics industry.
“Another project is the Trans-Caspian fiber-optic communication line along the bottom of the Caspian Sea, which will become an additional communication channel between Kazakhstan and the global network,” Abishev noted.
The expert said Azerbaijan can become both a transshipment point for Kazakh oil and uranium and a consumer of Kazakh goods, including wheat.
