In a recent meeting between the Minister of Agriculture of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Aidarbek Saparov, and the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People's Republic of China to Kazakhstan, Zhang Xiao, discussions centered around bolstering cooperation between the two nations. The focal point of these talks was the burgeoning potential for expanding the export of Kazakh agricultural products to China, the Ministry of Agriculture of Kazakhstan reported.
Minister Saparov highlighted the significance of agricultural cooperation in Kazakh-Chinese relations, citing the substantial increase in trade turnover in agricultural products between the two countries. In 2023 alone, trade turnover witnessed a remarkable 1.6-fold increase, surpassing $1.3bn. Furthermore, there has been a notable surge in the demand for organic and environmentally friendly Kazakh agricultural products among Chinese consumers, resulting in a near-doubling of agricultural exports to China in 2023, amounting to $1.01bn.
"The Chinese market holds great promise for the export of Kazakh grain, with the potential to increase annual supply volumes to 2 mn tons," emphasized Minister Saparov.
Seeking to further capitalize on this momentum, Minister Saparov urged Ambassador Zhang Xiao to facilitate the expeditious coordination and signing of bilateral agreements concerning the export of additional goods. These include chilled meat, poultry products, offal, beet pulp, and potatoes.
Additionally, Minister Saparov sought the ambassador's assistance in expediting the accreditation process for new Kazakh enterprises engaged in livestock product manufacturing for export to China. Expressing gratitude, Saparov acknowledged China's agreement to transfer laboratory equipment for inspecting the quality of agricultural products, underscoring Kazakhstan's readiness to discuss mechanisms for the swift delivery of this equipment.
Furthermore, Minister Saparov extended an invitation to Chinese businessmen to collaborate on joint projects for the production and deep processing of agricultural and food products, emphasizing Kazakhstan's commitment to facilitating conducive conditions for such endeavors.
Ambassador Zhang Xiao reciprocated the enthusiasm for cooperation, affirming China's readiness to ensure continuous imports of meat, grain, and other agricultural products from Kazakhstan. With an eye on the vast Chinese market, Zhang Xiao highlighted the potential for further increasing imports from Kazakhstan.
Proposing concrete steps to bolster collaboration, the People's Republic of China proposed establishing a Subcommittee on Cooperation in the Agro-Industrial Complex. This platform aims to facilitate regular joint visits and establish direct contacts between relevant departments of both countries. The draft Charter for this subcommittee has been developed, with China proposing its signing at a forthcoming meeting of SCO member countries in Kazakhstan.
Concluding the meeting on an optimistic note, both parties expressed confidence in the negotiations' potential to strengthen agricultural cooperation between Kazakhstan and China.
Follow Daryo's official Instagram and Twitter pages to keep current on world news.
Comments (0)