Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan can enjoy transporting benefits

/By AzerNews/

By Amina Nazarli

Companies from Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan have gotten together for the Azerbaijan-Kazakhstan business forum in Baku on October 20 to discuss issues related to mutual cooperation.

A total of 18 leading companies and enterprises from Kazakhstan, representing different areas of the economy, including engineering, construction, chemical and food attended the event.

Some of these companies are already working in Azerbaijan and want to expand their presence in the Azerbaijani market, while others only plan to establish cooperation with Azerbaijan.

Addressing the forum, Nazim Tatliyev, the vice president of Azerbaijan’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said the modern logistics infrastructure created by Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan allows for the operation of West-East and North-South transport corridors at full capacity.

He noted that the jointly created infrastructure is making a significant contribution to the development of the two countries and is intensifying cooperation in the region.

“Our countries have the opportunity to supply products in various directions and become transit countries for large volumes of cargo transportation,” he added.

Tatliyev emphasized the important role of the Caspian Sea as a link in many international and regional projects aimed at developing transport corridors.

The Caspian Sea is our common wealth, he said, and we should protect it with concrete measures and create new opportunities for our countries by investing and implementing infrastructure projects.

Discussing projects implemented in Azerbaijan in this sphere, Tatliyev highlighted the new Ferry Terminal and Baku Shipyard, which has already been commissioned.

The Ferry Terminal was commissioned in 2014 as part of the first stage of the new complex of the Baku International Sea Trade Port.

Tatliyev informed participants that at the first stage, the cargo-carrying capacity of the port will be 10 million tons and 50,000 containers per year, while after the third stage, which is planned to be completed in 2016, this figure will reach 25 million tons and 1 million containers per year.

"The new shipbuilding plant, meeting international standards, will open new opportunities for our countries to solve the economic issues in the implementation of projects in the sphere of transport communications," he said.

He noted that close relations and cooperation between Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan are the key to ensuring security in the region.

Deepening trade and economic relations, improving the investment climate, creating secure communications and attracting highly profitable and environmentally friendly technologies are priorities for the two countries, he added.

This is the second such event by the National Export and Investment Agency “KAZNEX INVEST” under the Ministry for Investments and Development of Kazakhstan in Baku. In the previous event held in 2011, the sides signed contracts worth more than $8 million.

Addressing local media, the Managing Director of “KAZNEX INVEST,” Askar Arinov, expressed hope that the forum will approve contracts for an amount no less than that of the last trade mission.

Arinov noted, the main factor attracting Azerbaijani buyers is the use of modern technologies by Kazakh manufacturers during production.

He recalled that the two countries have an excellent opportunity to trade by sea through the port of Aktau in Kazakhstan and the Baku International Sea Trade Port, thereby reducing transportation costs and speeding up the delivery.

“In addition, immediately prior to our visit to Baku, we analyzed the pricing policies of our enterprises and enterprises of other countries working in Azerbaijan. The analysis showed that our products are price competitive,” he said.

The managing director noted that they again plan to send a trade mission to Azerbaijan next year, adding that according to some international experts, such events could help increase trade between the countries by 6-7 percent.

The trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan totaled $76.9 million in January-September 2015, or 2.5 times less than in the same period of 2014, according to Azerbaijan’s State Customs Committee.