Azerbaijan, Baku, July 10 / Trend E. Kosolapova/
Switzerland is considering the issue of investing in the Kazakh railway sphere, the Kazakh National Agency for Export and Investment 'Kaznex Invest' reported following the Kazakh-Swiss business forum on railway engineering, which was held in Astana on Tuesday.
The forum was held within the visit of a delegation of Swiss Confederation's railway companies to Kazakhstan. Such Swiss companies as Matter AG, MATISA Material Industriel SA, ABB Schweiz AG, GIMOTA AG and Prang + Partner AG took part in the forum.
"The forum was aimed at attracting the direct Swiss investments and technology in Kazakhstan's railway engineering and transport industry as a whole," Kaznex Invest said.
According to Kazakh Industry and New Technologies Deputy Minister Nurlan Sauranbayev, Kazakhstan's railway industry is a very promising market for foreign investors.
"Only one main operator of Kazakh rail industry 'Kazakhstan Temir Zholy' uses 2,800 kinds of spare parts. Only 500 of them are provided by domestic market. Thus, more than 70 percent of products are imported," Sauranbayev said.
Meanwhile, Kazakhstan plans to launch production of imported spare parts in the near future, Deputy Minister said.
Currently, Kazakhstan is interested in Swiss financial, technological and intellectual investment in producing the products with high added value and getting the joint profits, Sauranbayev said.
Switzerland invested $4.4 billion in Kazakhstan from 1995 to 2011. Trade turnover between the two countries hit $5.1 billion in 2011.
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