ASTANA – Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Economy Serik Zhumangarin met with Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Hoa Binh on Feb. 3 to discuss deepening bilateral cooperation, with a focus on doubling trade turnover, strengthening transport connectivity, and expanding investment partnerships.
Nguyen Hoa Binh and Serik Zhumangarin. Photo credit: Prime Minister’s press service.
Kazakhstan and Vietnam have steadily developed political dialogue and intergovernmental and interparliamentary cooperation for more than 30 years. During the talks, the officials reviewed prospects for enhanced collaboration in trade, investment, transport and logistics, agriculture, and information technology.
Kazakhstan expressed its intention to double trade with Vietnam and announced plans to send a trade and economic mission to Vietnam this year, the Prime Minister’s press service reported.
A key topic was agricultural exports. Kazakhstan delivered more than 15,000 tons of wheat to Vietnam for the first time in eight years. In 2025, the first direct multimodal shipments of Kazakh grain were launched without container reloading, significantly reducing delivery times and costs. The initiative was described as an important step toward positioning Kazakhstan as a reliable food supplier to Southeast Asia.
Zhumangarin also highlighted opportunities to expand exports of flour, meat, dairy products, and oilseeds, proposing to accelerate negotiations on a veterinary cooperation agreement and sign it at the second meeting of the subcommittee on agriculture.
In transport and logistics, Vietnamese partners were encouraged to use the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, or the Middle Corridor, which reduces cargo delivery times by three to four times compared to the southern sea route. Kazakhstan confirmed its readiness to create favorable logistics conditions and develop joint projects, including in the light and automotive industries.
Kazakhstan and Vietnam explore new flight routes and investment projects
Aviation cooperation was also discussed. VietJet Air plans to launch regular flights between Hanoi, Almaty, and Prague this year. The sides considered opening direct flights between Astana and Hanoi and resuming the Almaty- Ho Chi Minh City route.
Investment cooperation is gaining momentum, with several projects involving Vietnamese capital underway in Kazakhstan. These include the construction of the Ak Bulak Village tourist complex in the Almaty Region and a $90 million food processing plant in the Arna industrial zone in Konayev.
The officials emphasized the importance of the intergovernmental commission on trade, economic, scientific, and technical cooperation and agreed to consider holding its next meeting in June or July. They also supported the proposal to establish a Kazakh-Vietnamese business council this year.
Nguyen reaffirmed the traditionally friendly relations between the two countries and expressed interest in expanding cooperation, including interregional collaboration. He supported the development of the Middle Corridor. He showed interest in Kazakhstan’s experience in developing the Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC), notably in the context of plans to establish a financial center in Ho Chi Minh City.
