Azerbaijan, Baku, Oct. 25 / Trend S. Suleymanov /
The cooperation in transport sphere and development of export routes for Kazakh grain can raise economic relations between Astana and Baku to a higher level, Zakir Hashimov, Azerbaijani new ambassador to Kazakhstan, said.
"Despite the economies of Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan are based primarily on energy resources, both countries have a wide range of possibilities to increase economic relations, ambassador said in an interview with Trend.
I think that the transport capacity of our country will lead to greater integration between Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan, he said.
Traditional spheres of cooperation between Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan are transportation of Kazakh oil and oil products via the transport corridor Baku-Black Sea. Ferry boats operate between the countries. Both Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan are TRACECA participants (Europe-Caucasus-Asia).
The development of export routes for Kazakh grain is a perspective sphere of cooperation, ambassador said.
"Kazakhstan, being a major world grain exporter, is interested in establishing new export routes, Hashimov said. The grain terminal in Baku is an important link in the export route, he said.
The Baku Grain Terminal was opened on April 4, 2007. The construction of the terminal costs $6 million. The terminal is equipped with five silos for temporary storage of grain totaling 15,000 tons. The production capacity of the grain terminal is 300 tons / hour, the annual transportation - up to 500,000 tons of grain. Besides ensuring Azerbaijan's needs for high-quality grain, the Baku terminal serves as an important element in re-export of Kazakh grain to the countries of the Caucasus, the Black Sea region and the EU.
Baku Grain Terminal LLC is the Azerbaijani-Kazakh joint venture. It was established within the bilateral mutually beneficial economic cooperation between Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan.
A new mill complex began operating on the territory of the grain terminal. A mill complex with capacity of 150 tons was built on a parity basis by Kazakh and Azerbaijani sides.
Agricultural products produced in Azerbaijan are of great importance for the Kazakh market, ambassador said.
At present, the production of fuel and energy complex (jet and diesel fuel, lubricating oils), engineering (special equipment and spare parts), chemical industry (polyethylene, various polymers and dyes) are mainly supplied from Azerbaijan.
Wheat, barley, flour, chemicals, ferrous and nonferrous metallurgy are supplied from Kazakhstan to Azerbaijan.
The ambassador said that the economic ties between Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan were developing dynamically during the global economic crisis.
"I am confident that the level of bilateral trade will increase significantly in the nearest future taking into account those projects which have been reflected in the documents signed between the two countries, primarily in the energy sector," the ambassador said.