At
the second Central Asia-Russia Summit in
Tajikistan, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev outlined key areas for expanding
multilateral cooperation. He noted that the potential of the rapidly developing
region is gaining global recognition, and interest in the C5+ dialogue format
continues to grow. The first Central Asia-Russia
forum, held three years ago in Astana, laid the foundation for strengthening
cooperation between the region’s countries and Russia, while
the new summit is expected to give this partnership fresh momentum. Trade with Russia
accounts for one-third of Central Asia’s total trade turnover, which grew by
20% last year to exceed $50 billion. More than half of this - $28 billion – comes
from trade between Kazakhstan and Russia.
«Russia has become one of the largest investors in the Kazakh economy, investing over $26 billion. Russian inflows grew by 33% last year alone, exceeding $4 billion. This was made possible by the accelerated development of industrial cooperation. A total of 114 projects worth over $21 billion have been completed, and 33 more projects valued at more than $4.5 billion are currently underway,» Tokayev said.
He
highlighted significant prospects for joint efforts in agriculture, proposing
the creation of clusters for deep grain processing and high-value-added
production. Strengthening transport and logistics links also remains a
priority. Eleven international transport corridors pass through Kazakhstan,
accounting for about 85% of overland freight between Asia and Europe. Over the
past 15 years, $35 billion has been invested in the sector, and rail freight
transit from Russia to Central Asia via Kazakhstan has increased by 26%.
«Together with our Russian and Turkmen partners, we are developing the eastern branch of the North-South International Transport Corridor, which has already seen significant growth in freight volumes. We plan to double the corridor’s capacity by 2027. Last year, freight traffic there reached nearly 2.5 million tons. The launch of a joint program for investment and infrastructure support for the eastern branch of the North-South Corridor would facilitate the full realization of this route’s potential and attract the necessary funds,» the President noted.
Tokayev
also pointed to vast opportunities for cooperation in the energy sector,
including the nuclear industry, noting the
construction of Kazakhstan’s first nuclear power plant with Rosatom’s
participation. He proposed creating a Regional Council of competencies on the nuclear fuel cycle and
radioactive waste management. Productive collaboration, he added, is also
possible in digitalization and environment.
In this regard, the President suggested establishing a Council of Ministers of
Central Asian countries and Russia on environmental issues. The Head of State also
touched on partnership in ensuring security, countering terrorism, drug
trafficking, and cybercrime. He believes it is important to continue the joint work
of the Security Council Secretaries in the Central Asia – Russia format.
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