ASTANA – Kazakh Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov outlined key areas for strengthening cooperation between the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member states during an Oct. 16 SCO Heads of Government Council meeting in Islamabad.
Kazakh Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov outlined key areas for strengthening cooperation between the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). Photo credit: primeminister.kz
According to the Prime Minister’s press service, the meeting participants discussed the implementation of the agreements reached at the SCO summit in Astana in July, as well as measures to deepen cooperation in the trade, economic, cultural and humanitarian spheres, with Belarus now a full member of the SCO.
Kazakhstan’s trade turnover with the SCO countries increased by 6% last year and totaled $66.7 billion. In general, the share of the SCO states in global gross domestic product (GDP) is 30%, and intra-organization trade exceeded a quarter of the total volume.
The meeting participants signed eight documents, including the decision on the Concept of Development of the New Economic Dialogue among SCO member states. Photo credit: Prime Minister’s press service.
Bektenov emphasized that Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and the leaders of the SCO member states laid the strategic foundation for the development of multifaceted cooperation between the member states. In this regard, new growth points are required to secure long-term trade dynamics in the face of a global economic slowdown.
Bektenov noted the need to develop digitalization and online trade, modernize existing railways and roads as part of the creation of a partner port and logistics network, and mutually beneficial cooperation in the energy and investment sectors. He focused on the implementation of a set of measures in climate change, effective waste management, as well as strengthening contacts between educational and healthcare institutions. Close cooperation in these areas will create favorable conditions for the sustainable development and prosperity of the SCO ten member states.
Following the meeting, eight documents were signed, including the decision on the Concept of Development of the New Economic Dialogue among SCO member states.
Olzhas Bektenov’s meeting with Prime Minister of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif
During the visit to Islamabad, Bektenov met with Prime Minister of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif on Oct. 15 to discuss current state and prospects for bilateral trade and economic cooperation, as well as interaction in digitalization.
Olzhas Bektenov met with Prime Minister of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif. Photo credit: primeminister.kz
Bektenov noted that trade turnover between Kazakhstan and Pakistan increased by 16% in January-August, reaching $40 million. Kazakhstan is ready to increase the volume of supplies for 85 commodity items worth more than $490 million to Pakistan, and expand the range of supplied products.
Kazakh agricultural product supplies nearly doubled from January to August, totaling $7.7 million. Kazakhstan’s vegetables and grain crops are in high demand in Pakistan. Given the expected strong harvest this year, the Kazakh government is ready to increase the volume of annual supplies to Pakistan to 2 million tons of grain crops.
The sides discussed the prospects for development of the existing multimodal route Kazakhstan-Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan and the new transport corridor Kazakhstan-Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan against the backdrop of a threefold increase in rail freight traffic and a fourfold increase in road transit traffic.
