Baku hosts 21st Meeting of Joint Intergovernmental Commission between Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan

The 21st meeting of the Joint Intergovernmental Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Kazakhstan was held here on Tuesday.

Prior to the meeting, a bilateral meeting was conducted between the co-chairs of the Commission – Azerbaijan’s Minister of Energy Parviz Shahbazov and Kazakhstan’s Minister of Transport Nurlan Sauranbayev. During the meeting, the sides hailed the development of the strategic partnership and the implementation of the Comprehensive Program on the Development of Cooperation between the two countries for 2022–2026. They discussed ongoing and future measures to further strengthen cooperation in energy, transport, and other areas.

Addressing the meeting, Minister of Energy Parviz Shahbazov said that Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan, as fraternal and allied nations, are united by common history, culture, and a shared strategic vision for the future. The Minister emphasized that, thanks to the political will and wise leadership of Presidents Ilham Aliyev and Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, cooperation between the two countries has been developing dynamically and sustainably in all spheres.

He noted that in 2024, bilateral trade turnover increased by 50 percent, reaching 470 million USD, and in the first half of this year, this figure rose 4.2 times compared to the same period last year, amounting to 501 million USD.

Touching upon energy cooperation, the Minister said: “Since 2023, a total of 3.4 million tons of Kazakh oil have been transported to global markets via the Baku–Tbilisi–Ceyhan pipeline. Discussions are underway to increase annual transit volumes to 7 million tons by 2027 and to further expand these volumes on the basis of mutual benefit.”

Minister Shahbazov also highlighted the strategic importance of the green energy development and transmission project involving Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan, which strengthens energy partnerships and contributes to regional energy security. He stated that following the selection of a consulting company in November, work on the project’s feasibility study will begin.

The Azerbaijani Energy Minister also noted that Azerbaijan is ready to further enhance cooperation in the development of the Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor and jointly realize new opportunities, including the potential opening of the Zangezur Corridor.

In his remarks, Kazakhstan’s Minister of Transport Nurlan Sauranbayev said: “Today’s negotiations were constructive, sincere, and conducted in a truly businesslike atmosphere. We demonstrated mutual interest, understanding, and trust in further strengthening the strategic partnership between Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan. During the meeting, we presented a number of substantive ideas and initiatives covering various aspects of bilateral cooperation, including trade, industry, transport, energy, digitalization, and culture.”

Last year, the total volume of transit traffic between the two countries increased by 21 percent, reaching 3.6 million tons. The officials emphasized the significance of the Joint Investment Fund in attracting investments in priority infrastructure and production projects in both Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan. They also underscored the positive dynamics of cooperation in the fields of science, education, culture, youth policy, and tourism, highlighting the successful implementation of several joint initiatives.

The discussions also focused on expanding cooperation in trade, economy, energy, transport, logistics, agriculture, food security, digitalization, ICT, health, science, education, culture, and tourism.

In conclusion, a protocol on the outcomes of the 21st meeting of the Azerbaijan–Kazakhstan Joint Intergovernmental Commission was signed. The parties agreed to hold the 22nd meeting next year in Kazakhstan.