Kazakhstan and Thailand are
expanding business ties. In Astana, Kazakh Minister of Trade and Integration
Arman Shakkaliyev and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Commerce of
Thailand Phumtham Wechayachai signed an agreement on trade and economic
cooperation between the two countries. The parties intend to implement joint
industrial projects and develop investment cooperation. Kazakhstan can provide
Thai investors with a number of benefits and preferences. Over the past five
years, the total volume of bilateral investments has amounted to $100 million.
Last year, trade turnover reached nearly $370 million, increasing by more than
a third. And this is not the limit, experts say. Domestic entrepreneurs are
interested in exporting agricultural products and other goods to Southeast
Asian countries.
«We see significant potential to increase
exports in more than 100 product categories worth over $900 million, including
metallurgical and agricultural products, chemical and petrochemical goods, and
mineral resources. Among them are wheat, fertilizers and fodder. The agreement aims to develop bilateral
economic relations on a long-term basis. Kazakhstan has the opportunity to
attract Thai investors to its special economic zones, which will contribute to
the creation of new industries and jobs, positively impacting the country’s
economy,» said Shakkaliyev.
In addition, Kazakh Prime Minister Olzhas
Bektenov met with the Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand. The
interlocutors noted the positive dynamics in the development of relations in
the tourism sector, including the introduction of a visa-free regime for Kazakh
citizens. The parties also discussed the possibility of using the country’s
transit potential within the development of the Trans-Caspian route. Both sides
expressed their intentions to deepen economic cooperation.
