Kazakhstan and Georgia signed three cooperation agreements and a Joint Statement establishing a strategic partnership during talks between President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, as Kazakhstan's cumulative investment in the Georgian economy exceeded $500mn.
During talks in Astana attended by members of both official delegations, the leaders discussed expanding political, trade, economic, and cultural cooperation between the two countries.
Tokayev described Georgia as Kazakhstan's reliable partner in the South Caucasus, highlighting the two countries' longstanding historical ties, shared cultural values, and close people-to-people relations.
"Our countries are united by deep historical roots, common cultural values and strong ties between the peoples, which are the basis of our close partnership. We have once again confirmed our shared commitment to the development of bilateral cooperation," Tokayev stated.
The leaders adopted a Joint Statement establishing a strategic partnership and agreed to prepare a bilateral roadmap covering cooperation in energy, investment, transport, agriculture, digitalization, tourism, and other priority sectors.
Trade and investment remain central to bilateral relations. Tokayev noted that Kazakhstan has invested more than $500mn in Georgia, making it one of the country's largest foreign investors. He also said Kazakhstan intends to increase oil shipments through the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline.
Transport connectivity featured prominently during the discussions. As key participants in the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (Middle Corridor), Kazakhstan and Georgia agreed to continue developing transport and logistics infrastructure, expand container transportation, coordinate tariff policies, and accelerate digitalization.
According to Tokayev, freight volumes along the Middle Corridor have increased 3.5-fold over the past five years, while the number of container trains operating on the route is projected to reach 3,000 by 2029.
The president also said Kazakhstan is interested in expanding access beyond Batumi Port to other Georgian seaports. He highlighted the opening of a multimodal terminal at Poti Port with Kazakh investment and described the Anaklia deep-sea port project as another promising opportunity to strengthen regional connectivity.
Digital transformation and artificial intelligence were also identified as priority areas for cooperation. The two countries agreed to exchange experience in digital government, online public services, and GovTech solutions, while Kazakhstan expressed support for Georgian startups and technology companies participating in the Astana Hub innovation ecosystem.
The leaders also discussed expanding cooperation in healthcare, education, culture, and tourism. Tokayev noted that Georgia remains a popular destination for Kazakh tourists and proposed organizing reciprocal cultural days to strengthen people-to-people ties.
Following the talks, the two countries exchanged three intergovernmental memorandums of understanding. The agreements cover cooperation between the two countries' ministries in the fields of culture, tourism, and artificial intelligence and digital development, aiming to expand bilateral collaboration across creative industries, digital transformation, and travel.
Separately, Tokayev awarded Kobakhidze the Order of Dostyk (First Degree), one of Kazakhstan's highest state honors, in recognition of his contribution to strengthening bilateral relations.
Presenting the award, Tokayev described Kobakhidze as "a friend of our country" and praised his leadership in advancing Georgia's socio-economic reforms and expanding cooperation between the two countries.
In turn, Kobakhidze thanked the Kazakh president for the distinction and reaffirmed Georgia's commitment to further strengthening the bilateral partnership.
