As part of the state visit of the President of Kazakhstan Kassym–Jomart Tokayev, a Tajik–Kazakh investment forum was held in Dushanbe on August 21, the State Committee for Investment and State Property Management of the Republic of Tajikistan reports.
The forum was attended by more than 200 people, including representatives of the governments of the two countries, business structures, companies and enterprises in the fields of industry, infrastructure, communications, agriculture, and services.
The participants were offered investment projects on cooperation in agriculture, digital technologies, finance and industry.
Following the results of the forum, a number of commercial agreements and contracts worth about $900 million were signed, Kazinform agency reports with reference to the press service of the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
First Deputy Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Roman Sklyar noted in his speech that Kazakhstan and Tajikistan have significant opportunities to implement joint projects in many areas. He stressed that the holding of this event is a clear confirmation of the intentions of the two countries to strengthen bilateral trade, economic and investment cooperation.
Sklyar reported on the joint work carried out by the governments to expand the range of goods supplied, deepen cooperation in the field of industrial cooperation, and increase mutual supplies of agricultural products.
The importance of continuing cooperation between metallurgical enterprises and assistance in expanding the pool of joint agricultural projects in the field of production, processing and storage of agricultural and fruit and vegetable products with a view to its further export to the markets of third countries was noted.
In addition, cooperation is underway in the transport and IT spheres. At the same time, Kazakhstan stressed the creation of all conditions for the development of transit transport.
On the sidelines of the forum, bilateral meetings were held between representatives of the Kazakh side and the leadership of a number of Tajik companies. Specific proposals for the implementation of joint projects with the creation of production facilities for the production of high-grade products were discussed.
During the forum, the parties expressed interest in increasing trade turnover to $2 billion in the coming years.
According to the Statistical Department of the Republic of Tajikistan, the total volume of Tajik–Kazakh trade turnover in 2023 amounted to over $1.1 billion, which is 20.3% less compared to the same period in 2022.
About 78% of the bilateral trade turnover is accounted for by the supply of Kazakh goods to Tajikistan.
Over the seven months of this year, Kazakhstan and Tajikistan traded almost $777 between themselves, which is 19.8% more than in the corresponding period of 2023. The share of Kazakhstan's exports in the structure of trade turnover with Tajikistan increased to 81.5%.
