Co-chaired by Tajik Deputy Minister of Economic Development and Trade Abdurahmon Abdurahmonzoda and Kazakh Deputy Minister of Trade and Integration Kairat Torebayev, a meeting of the Tajik-Kazakh Joint Working Group on Mutual Increase in Trade took place in Dushanbe on March 15.
The press center of the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade of Tajikistan (MoEDT) says the sides discussed ways to develop the bilateral trade between the two countries, including expansion of the range of supplied goods.
The MoEDT notes that a two-way trade between Tajikistan and Kazakhstan last year valued at 909.8 million U.S. dollars, which was 5.0 percent fewer than in 2019.
The bilateral trade between the two countries reportedly declined last year due to the coronavirus crisis.
Last year, Kazakhstan was the second largest trading partner of Tajikistan following the Russian Federation.
The meeting participants also discussed the possibility of launching joint ventures and creating wholesale distribution centers in Tajikistan.
Kazakhstan provides the bulk of Tajikistan’s wheat, flour and liquefied natural gas imports. Besides, it exports building materials, ferrous metals and inorganic chemistry products.
Tajikistan’s exports to Kazakhstan include cotton fiver, primary aluminum, fruit and vegetable products, and fabrics.
Kazakhstan’s accumulated direct investment in Tajikistan’s economy reportedly amounts to little more than 100 million U.S. dollars.
About 90 enterprises wit participation of Kazak investments now operate in Tajikistan; twenty of them fully belong to Kazakh investors engaged in export-import transactions.
