BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 19. President Ilham
Aliyev’s go to to Kazakhstan is anticipated to set a brand new dynamic for
financial cooperation, unbiased Kazakh skilled on worldwide
relations and financial coverage Yerik Batyrkhanov instructed Development.
“President Ilham Aliyev’s go to can redefine financial
partnership, transferring it past conventional power and transport
frameworks. Relations between Astana and Baku are transitioning
from mutual commerce to forming a full industrial-investment ecosystem
targeted on creating added worth,” he mentioned.
He drove house the purpose that logistics and power are presently
the bread and butter of bilateral cooperation, and serving as
interconnected engines of progress. Kazakhstan already makes use of
Azerbaijani infrastructure, he mentioned, to export round 1.5 million
tons of oil yearly, a determine that continues to develop. Joint
tasks to modernize the Aktau and Alyat ports are laying the
basis for a Caspian hub integrating oil, grain, metals, and
container cargo right into a unified transport system, reworking each
international locations from mere transit factors into nodes of worldwide provide
chains.
“The second dimension is meals and agrotechnology cooperation.
File development in Kazakh grain exports to Azerbaijan exceeded
450,000 tons in 2024 and marks the start of a brand new mannequin,
establishing joint processing and distribution facilities aimed on the
Caucasus and Türkiye. This represents a shift from uncooked materials
export to exporting completed options,” he mentioned.
The enhancement of digital connectivity is manifesting via
the harmonization of customs knowledge and logistics pathways through the
Digital Commerce Hall framework, thereby catalyzing synergies in
IT infrastructure, telecommunications, and fintech ecosystems.
Batyrkhanov underscored the criticality of ecological
metamorphosis, referencing the Caspian Inexperienced Power Hall
initiative encompassing Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, and Uzbekistan,
indicative of the area’s shift in direction of “clever power”
modalities corresponding to wind, photo voltaic, and hydrogen energy.
“This means that President Ilham Aliyev’s go to transcends mere
diplomatic engagement, representing a pivotal second within the
evolution of systemic partnership enhancement, whereby power, meals
safety, digital transformation, and ecological sustainability
converge to ascertain a cohesive framework for enduring development,” he
articulated.
He famous that Kazakh-Azerbaijani relations are getting into a
qualitatively new part, a strategic partnership primarily based on mutual
belief and aligned pursuits in key regional political and financial
issues.
“In recent times, dialogue on the degree of heads of state and
governments has deepened, commerce volumes have grown, and joint
funding tasks have been launched. Each international locations show
related understanding of regional challenges, together with power
safety, transport connectivity, and the necessity to strengthen Turkic
integration,” Batyrkhanov added.
He underscored that Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan are establishing a
strategic axis of stability and modernization inside the Caspian
and Central Eurasia, translating political belief into concrete
financial outcomes.
“In recent times, the Kazakhstan-Azerbaijan coalition has
transitioned from a merely declarative partnership to a strong and
synergistic alliance. Within the fiscal 12 months 2024, the dyadic change
of products and providers surpassed the $533 million threshold. Between
January and October 2024, bilateral commerce skilled a strong
enlargement of 38.7 %, culminating in an approximate valuation
of $393.8 million. Azerbaijani outbound commerce to Kazakhstan
skilled a big uptick of 23.2 %, reaching a complete
valuation of $107.7 million. Concurrently, Kazakhstani exports
directed in direction of Azerbaijan surged by 45.6 %, culminating in
a strong determine of $286 million,” he stresses.
Batyrkhanov highlighted the present dialogues geared toward
augmenting the Kazakh oil throughput through Azerbaijani corridors to a
goal vary of 5–7 million tons each year. Within the fiscal 12 months
2023, roughly 1.4 million metric tons of Kazakh crude had been
strategically transited via the Azerbaijani hall. By the
12 months 2025, throughput via the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) conduit
is projected to achieve a quantity of 1.7 to 1.8 million tons, with
aspirations to escalate to 2.2 million tons. The strategic
goal is to amplify annual transit capability to 7 million tons
by 2027.
He indicated that throughput metrics alongside the Trans-Caspian
Worldwide Transport Route (TITR / Center Hall) connecting
Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan skilled a considerable uptick of 62
% in 2024, culminating in a complete cargo quantity of 4.5 million
tons. The Kazakhstan-Azerbaijan Funding Fund has been
inaugurated with a foundational capital infusion of $300 million
earmarked for collaborative ventures.
“These figures show that cooperation now exceeds rhetoric
– it has develop into an instrument of financial development, logistical
diversification, and power autonomy. The Center Hall isn’t any
longer simply another route however a strategic axis for brand new
Eurasian transit, with Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan taking part in key
roles,” Batyrkhanov defined.
He famous that by the top of 2024, freight visitors alongside the
Trans-Caspian Worldwide Transport Route (TITR) had surged by 62
%, reaching 4.5 million tons, with roughly half of that
quantity consisting of Kazakhstani exports. At the moment, the route connects
over 20 logistics and port operators throughout Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan,
Georgia, and Türkiye. Because of tariff harmonization and the
implementation of digital clearance methods corresponding to eTIR and the
Digital Commerce Hall, transit occasions have been halved, dropping
from 38 to 19 days.
Batyrkhanov emphasised that the hall’s capability is evolving
within the context of the present paradigm shift in world logistics
frameworks. Per projections from the TITR, the annual freight
tonnage is anticipated to surpass the ten–12 million ton threshold
by the 12 months 2030, positioning it to compete with the cargo dealing with
capacities of outstanding Black Sea ports.
“Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan are positioning themselves as pivotal
actors on this paradigm shift. The Aktau and Alat ports are
synergizing to ascertain a cohesive logistics nexus inside the
Caspian Sea, incorporating specialised transshipment services
tailor-made for hydrocarbons, cereals, ferrous and non-ferrous metals,
in addition to intermodal containerized freight. Within the prolonged
temporal framework, the Center Hall has the potential to
metamorphose each nations into epicenters of an emergent
transcontinental financial paradigm, whereby velocity of transit,
digital integration, and operational predictability, superseding
mere geographical distance, emerge because the pivotal determinants,” he
famous.
He underscored that for each nations, this transcends a mere
transportation initiative; it epitomizes a pivotal development
towards financial autonomy and the reintegration of Eurasia below
up to date, strategic paradigms.
In reference to the Zangezur Hall, Batyrkhanov articulated
that it presents the doubtless most effective terrestrial conduit
connecting the Caspian basin to Türkiye, thereby constituting an
important element for the great actualization of the
Trans-Caspian logistics framework.
“For Kazakhstan, this initiative embodies substantial logistical
and monetary significance. Ought to the Zangezur Hall be
operationalized, the transit pathway for Kazakh freight originating
from the Aktau and Kuryk ports to Turkish and European markets
stands to be optimized by an estimated 600–700 km. Moreover,
logistics expenditure, as per skilled evaluation, is projected to
diminish by a margin of 10–15 %,” indicated Batyrkhanov.
He famous that the Kazakhstan-Azerbaijan-Georgia-Türkiye hall is
presently functioning with operational efficacy; nevertheless, particular
segments are prone to bottlenecks and limitations in
throughput capability.Batyrkhanov harassed that the optimum method
for Kazakhstan is to implement the Zangezur Hall in a
multilateral, open framework, integrating it into the unified TITR
community. On this situation, Zangezur would function a pure
extension of Caspian logistics, enhancing the transport autonomy of
Central Asia.
“In a broader perspective, that is greater than a transport
initiative; it represents a chance to attach the Eurasian
arc from the Altai to the Mediterranean, with Kazakhstan and
Azerbaijan serving as strategic bridges between areas and
cultures,” he mentioned.
The skilled additional highlighted that the partnership between
Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan inside the Group of Turkic States
(OTG) has develop into the spine of Turkic integration. This isn’t
merely symbolic; it displays sensible collaboration between two
economically and politically mature nations, shaping the strategic
path of the group.
“Kazakhstan was on the forefront of selling Turkic unity. In
2009, it spearheaded the settlement establishing the Cooperation
Council of Turkic-Talking States, which later advanced into the
OTG. From the outset, Azerbaijan acted as a key promoter and
infrastructure hub. At the moment, it’s Baku and Astana that make sure the
sustainability and substantive agenda of this group,”
Batyrkhanov mentioned.
Economically, the 2 international locations kind a hyperlink that would develop into a
“locomotive” for Turkic integration. Their mixed GDP exceeds
$300 billion, they usually account for over 60 % of Turkic power
exports. Principal transit corridors, Caspian, Center Hall, and
Trans-Anatolian, go via them.
“The political and humanitarian dimension is equally vital.
Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan emphasize modernizing the Islamic and
Turkic world via training, digitalization, inexperienced financial system, and
worldwide partnership. This offers OTS a contemporary and constructive
character, distinct from classical interstate unions.
Strategically, the Astana-Baku alliance inside OTS fosters a brand new
structure of cooperation in Eurasia, positioning the Turkic
world as an influential middle between Europe, Russia, China, and
the Center East,” Batyrkhanov mentioned.
He articulated that the forthcoming Kazakhstan-Azerbaijan
enterprise discussion board will catalyze focused initiatives.
“For each nations, it’s essential to not solely amplify commerce
throughput but in addition to boost the collaborative framework –
transitioning from mere commodity transactions to built-in
manufacturing, logistics, and technological ecosystems.” That is
completed through direct engagements amongst company entities,
developmental establishments, and governmental our bodies,” Batyrkhanov
articulated.
He noticed that antecedent assemblies yielded accords valued in
the tons of of tens of millions of {dollars}, encompassing initiatives for
hydrocarbon logistics, cereal conveyance, harbor enhancement, and a
collaborative funding automobile approximating $300 million.
“On the forthcoming symposium, the emphasis will pivot in direction of
direct business-to-business agreements inside the sectors of
agribusiness, power, info know-how, and sustainable
financial practices.” Engagement in collaborative information switch
amongst export-centric enterprises shall be pivotal for penetrating
tertiary markets in Türkiye, Europe, and the Center East,” he
talked about.
Batyrkhanov emphasised that the enterprise discussion board additionally has a
reputational operate, demonstrating that Kazakhstan-Azerbaijan
financial partnership relies on non-public sector belief, not simply
authorities selections, enhancing funding attractiveness and
establishing a brand new tradition of enterprise interplay throughout the
Caspian area.
