Central Asia: Kazakhstan Calls for Creation of Strong Regional Economic Base
President of Kazakhstan: the volume of interregional trade has increased and amounts to 11 billion dollars
In the new multipolar world, Central Asian countries must build a strong regional economic base for multilateral interaction. On Friday, August 9, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev spoke at the 6th Consultative Meeting of Heads of State of the five former Soviet Central Asian republics in Astana.
“Significant results have been achieved in recent years. The volume of inter-regional trade is gradually increasing and already amounts to 11 billion dollars,” Tokayev emphasized, according to whom “it is necessary to further intensify the exchange of goods and resources, bringing it to at least 15 billion dollars as soon as possible.”
According to the President of Kazakhstan, large projects in infrastructure and transportation spheres, implemented with the participation of Russia and China, “could become new hubs of growth for the economies of Central Asian states.” Among other projects, Tokayev named the construction of Kambarata-1 HPP in Kyrgyzstan, Rogun HPP in Tajikistan, as well as some projects related to natural gas production and processing in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan. New rail transportation corridors that will connect Russia and China to Europe, the Middle East, and, in particular, countries such as Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India are very important for regional economic development.
“The development of trade, logistics, and industrial centers in border regions is of paramount importance. We must strengthen our comprehensive partnership with new agreements in such promising sectors as agriculture, logistics, textiles, chemicals, and construction,” the Kazakh leader emphasized.
In parallel with the consultative meeting of the heads of state, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Murat Nurtleu welcomed in Astana his counterparts from Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, and Tajikistan. “The ministerial meeting,” Nurtleu said, “emphasizes the support and shared commitment to strengthen cooperation among the five countries.
Currently, the combined gross domestic product of the five countries is around 450 billion dollars, and mutual trade is showing a steady growth trajectory.
Nurtleu stressed the progress made on the regional and international cooperation front, “as evidenced by the results of recent meetings between Central Asian countries involving Russia, China, the USA, India, Japan, South Korea, Germany, Italy, and a number of international organizations, including BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.”
