The volume of bilateral trade between Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan reached $1.6bn for the first 11 months of 2024. This growth in trade was a focal point of talks between Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov and Adylbek Kasymaliev, Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers and Head of the Administration of the President of Kyrgyzstan, during Kasymaliev’s visit to Almaty for the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council meeting.
During their discussions, both leaders underscored the positive momentum in political relations between Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Kyrgyzstan’s President Sadyr Japarov, which has contributed to a heightened level of bilateral cooperation. Bektenov highlighted Kazakhstan’s readiness to expand exports across various sectors, including petrochemicals, food, metallurgy, machinery, pharmaceuticals, and construction materials, amounting to an additional $203mn in exports across 175 product categories.
Agriculture, which accounts for approximately 20% of trade between the two countries, is another area of focus. The implementation of a roadmap for increased mutual agricultural trade has already yielded positive results, with trade in this sector growing by 5.5% to $313.6mn by November 2024. Grain and flour exports from Kazakhstan to Kyrgyzstan reached 40,400 tons and 53,200 tons, respectively.
A key element of the partnership is investment in the industrial sector, with the construction of a ferroalloy plant in Tash-Kumyr highlighted as a flagship project. This joint initiative is expected to foster industrial cooperation and attract further investment. Industrial goods trade between the two nations increased by 3.9%, totaling $985.5mn in 2024, with Kazakhstan's exports rising by 13.5%.
Water and energy cooperation were also prioritized during the talks, with both countries successfully managing the 2024 irrigation season and working on ensuring water availability for the Shu and Talas river basins during the non-vegetation period.
The transport and logistics sector was another focus, as both countries work to enhance cross-border infrastructure and improve the transit potential. The volume of export-import cargo transported by road increased by 16% in the first nine months of 2024, reaching 1.7mn tons.
Following the talks, both leaders reiterated their commitment to expanding trade and economic cooperation, with an emphasis on continuing to build on the positive trends observed across all sectors.
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