On Thursday, May 4, Tajik and Kazakh government delegation held a meeting in an extended format in Kazakhstan’s capital, Astana.
Kazakhstan’s media outlets say Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev announced the plans of the bilateral cooperation with Tajikistan.
“I attach great importance to your visit. We have just evaluated your visit as a historical one. It brings our relations to a new level of cooperation. A declaration on allied relations will be signed,” Tokayev was cited by Kazinform as saying during the meeting held in an extended format.
According to Kazakh leader, allied relations mean launch of new strategic projects.
“We have just talked about the need to develop two or three anchor strategic projects and have tasked the governments to implement them. I suppose we will reach new heights in our bilateral cooperation,” Tokayev said.
Meanwhile, Tajik President Emomali Rahmon reportedly revealed the plans for cooperation between Tajikistan and Kazakhstan while making the joint statement at the Akorda.
He outlined sectors like mining, metallurgy, light and food industries, manufacturing engineering and pharmaceutics as areas which could drive the bilateral trade between the two countries. Rahmon especially invited Kazakh investments in development of promising oil and natural gas deposits in Tajikistan, according to Kazinform.
Tajik leader reportedly also noted that cooperation in digitalization and AI, banking and financial markets would also be mutually beneficial.
Over the first three months of this year, Kazakhstan has been the second major trading partner of Tajikistan following Russia.
According to data of the Agency for Statistics under the President of Tajikistan, a two-way trade between Tajikistan and Kazakhstan over the first three months of this year has valued at 310,383,500 US dollars. This consisted of Tajikistan’s exports to Kazakhstan estimated at 93,436,200 US dollars and Tajikistan’s imports from Kazakhstan worth 216,947,300 US dollars.
Last year, the bilateral trade between the two countries reportedly valued at 1,441,181,200 US dollars. This consisted of Tajikistan’s exports to Kazakhstan estimated at 483,915,400 US dollars and Tajikistan’s imports from Kazakhstan worth 957,265,800 US dollars.
