Azerbaijan, Baku 18 April /corr. Trend S.Agayeva / The Governments of Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan intend to consider the prospects of co-operation in non-oil sector. The issues of trade and commercial development, transport and communications, agro-Industrial complexes and agriculture will be discussed in the IV meeting of Azerbaijani-Kazakh Inter-Governmental Commission for Economic Co-operation, which will take place on 23 April in Astana, Azerbaijan's Ambassador to Kazakhstan, Latif Gandilov, reported to Trend on 17 April.
The agenda of talks also includes humanitarian co-operation and situation of agreement-legal base
The Governmental delegation of Azerbaijan, headed by the Minister of Economic Development, Heydar Babayev, will leave for Astana to attend this meeting. The co-chairmen of the Commission- from Azerbaijani side is Heydar Babayev and from Kazakh side- Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources, Baktikoja Izmhammetov.
One of the topics of the discussions will be regulation of the debt obligations, a Government source stated. Due to debt obligations, the Azerbaijani side insisted on re-paying only $8.5mln through budget. Other $8.4mln will be re-paid at the expense of loans taken by the farmers. In addition, the Kazakh side requested the return of 50% of the carriages which have been located in Nakchivan Autonomous Republic since 1991. The Government of Azerbaijan is going to do it at the expense of carriage part of the Republic. In addition, Azerbaijani and Kazakh transport departments consider it necessary to consider the issue of ensuring bilateral loading railway-ferry division of Aktau-Baku section. Last year, Kazakhstan suggested Azerbaijan State Caspian Shipping Company to decrease the transportation costs of railway-ferry division of Aktau-Baku section.
The meeting may also discuss transportation of energy resources of Kazakhstan and Country's participation in transportation via Caspian basin, onward the Ports of Batumi or Poti. In addition, the tariffs may also be considered. At present, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Kazakhstan are discussing the issue of synchronizing the tariffs.
The trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan totalled $68243,8 thous, out of which $56908,9 thous is from imported Kazakh commodities. The export-import operations between the two countries make up 12.7% of Azerbaijan's trade turnover within the CIS countries.
The correspondent can be contacted at :