ASTANA, Kazakhstan, February 5. The launch of a new multimodal terminal being built by a Kazakh transport and logistics investment group is planned at the Georgian Poti port this year, Trend reports via the Kazakh prime minister's administration.
The issue was discussed during a meeting between Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Olzhas Bektanov and his Georgian counterpart Irakli Kobakhidze, who arrived in Kazakhstan for an official visit.
The parties also discussed issues of bilateral cooperation, focusing on the development of trade and economic relations, expanding cooperation in transport and logistics, oil and petroleum products transportation, digital technologies, agriculture, tourism, and more.
During the meeting, Bektanov emphasized that President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev attaches great importance to strengthening bilateral cooperation with Georgia.
"The work to increase trade turnover is being carried out within the framework of the joint intergovernmental commission. A road map for expanding the nomenclature of mutual trade from 2023 to 2026 is being implemented. The range of exported products from Kazakhstan is being expanded with new types of non-raw materials.
Measures are being taken to promote 35 types of domestic products worth over $66 million to the Georgian market. The list includes products from the petrochemical, metallurgical, food, chemical industries, and mechanical engineering," Bektanov noted.
The negotiations also paid special attention to increasing transit and transport interaction through the potential of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR).
The measures being taken are expected to allow the capacity of the Middle Corridor to increase to 10 million tons per year by 2027.
In addition, the importance of continuing efforts to establish competitive tariff conditions, reduce delivery times, and increase cargo transportation volumes along the route was emphasized. Kazakh companies are also involved in increasing capacity in Georgia.
"Last year, the volume of transportation along the TITR increased by 62 percent to 4.5 million tons. In order to increase the potential of the route and eliminate 'bottlenecks,' we are working on improving infrastructure, port, and terminal capacity, increasing rolling stock, removing administrative barriers, and creating favorable conditions for carriers.
The Kazakh government is committed to continuing comprehensive work to ensure the dynamic development of Kazakh-Georgian partnership in all areas," Bektanov stressed.
Kobakhidze expressed Georgia's interest in developing and strengthening bilateral ties with Kazakhstan. Following the talks, the prime ministers of Kazakhstan and Georgia confirmed their intention to develop and strengthen trade-economic and cultural-humanitarian partnerships.
TITR, or Middle Corridor, is an international transport corridor that passes through China, Kazakhstan, the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Türkiye and onward to European countries. This route is also part of the international "Belt and Road" initiative, which is the modern revival of the Great Silk Road.
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