Practical cooperation between the regions continues to
drive Kazakhstan-Russia relations forward. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev
highlighted this at the XXII Kazakhstan-Russia Interregional Cooperation Forum
in Omsk. This year's event focused on developing a logistics ecosystem. Given
that Kazakhstan and Russia share the world's longest continuous land border,
the logistics sector offers new opportunities to expand cooperation amid the
steady growth of bilateral economic ties. Bilateral trade approached $28
billion last year, while in the first five months of 2026, trade turnover
increased by a further 10% compared to the same period in 2025.
«In the first quarter of this year, Russian investment
inflows rose by 45%, bringing the total for the first five months to $773
million. Kazakhstan’s cumulative investment in the Russian economy has exceeded
$9 billion. Industrial cooperation remains a key area of our economic
partnership. Our two countries have built a substantial portfolio of 177 major
projects worth more than $52 billion. Of these, 122 have already been
implemented,» Tokayev said.
Rail freight
traffic between the two countries increased by 3.5% last year, reaching 92
million tonnes. Transit freight between Russia and China via Kazakhstan also
increased eightfold over the past five years. Meanwhile, road freight transport
more than doubled in the first three months of this year. President Tokayev
emphasized that Kazakhstan is placing strong emphasis on developing the
North-South International Transport Corridor, which also recorded growth in
freight traffic last year. He identified the Western Europe-Western China
corridor as another key transport route. According to the President, the
reconstruction of the Aktobe-Ulgaisyn highway will double the corridor’s
capacity.
«We propose
launching a pilot Kazakhstan-Russia digital transport corridor along one of the
busiest routes, based on existing digital platforms. I am confident that
effective digital integration of our two countries’ transport and logistics
systems, together with the broad use of new technologies, will enable us to
expand bilateral trade, increase transit flows, and further strengthen economic
ties,» the Head of State
noted.
The Kazakh President
also proposed developing a joint programme to improve air connectivity between
border regions of the two countries. The initiative provides for launching
direct flights between Astana and Russian border cities. He also addressed the
construction of Kazakhstan's first nuclear power plant by an international
consortium led by Rosatom, describing the project as a testament to the strategic
nature of bilateral cooperation. The President also identified space
cooperation as another key area of partnership. On the sidelines of the forum,
Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Vladimir Putin were presented with digital trade and
logistics projects. These included a digital product labelling system to
enhance trade transparency, the Smart Cargo platform, and AI Jol, an AI-powered
system for analysing transport flows.
Related Articles
