Baku, Azerbaijan, May 19
By Fikret Dolukhanov – Trend:
International center for cross-border cooperation (ICBC) "Khorgos" (Kazakhstan) has been attended by more than three million people since its opening in April 2012, President of JSC ICBC “Khorgos” Kaharman Jazin told Trend May 18.
He noted that the visa-free regime is provided not only for citizens of Kazakhstan and China, but also for tourists from other countries.
"For example, a citizen of Azerbaijan or another country, who arrived in Kazakhstan, as well as any citizen of Kazakhstan, can basically visit the territory of China by visiting the ICBC "Khorgos". This is actively used by businessmen of different countries who make appointments and negotiations at the center. For a business that cooperates with China, it can't be better. Everyone knows that visa processing takes a certain time and money. And we have created the conditions to schedule meetings in the ICBC "Khorgos" and to sign contracts", said Jazin.
He also added that the center has a unique opportunity for mutual trade and cultural exchange.
"Our facility operates in the format of a free economic zone with appropriate tax benefits and customs preferences. There is a duty free format, which can be compared with the duty free system. Tourists, cargo and vehicles also move freely across the territory of the center through a special passage," Jazin said.
He said since the opening in April 2012, interest in the ICBC "Khorgos" project among the population of Kazakhstan and China has been increasing annually.
In 2017, the number of attendances from the Kazakh side almost doubled and reached a record figure of 1.13 million people per year, and recently a three millionth visitor was registered since the beginning of the center's activity, he said.
Jazin said that in May this year it is planned to hold a joint Kazakh-Chinese tourism forum, which will be attended by travel companies of the two countries.
ICBC "Khorgos" is a unique project of two countries - Kazakhstan and China. It is a center of trade, economic, tourism and investment cooperation. It consists of the Kazakh and Chinese parts, located on the border adjacent territories of the two states and connected by a special passage crossing the state border.
Jazin said that currently, 15 investment companies are building 35 facilities with a total area of 748,000 square meters with the volume of capital investments of 438.9 billion tenge in the main territory of the center.
"In addition, the detailed designs are being developed for five capital projects, the contracts for which were concluded in 2018, with a total area of 33,800 square meters. Construction of these facilities will begin in early summer. The volume of investments is 12.3 billion tenge. In particular, the projects in the Chelyabinsk region (Russia) with a total area of 2500 square meters will be implemented, which are planned to be completed by September this year.
Earlier, three terminal zone facilities and two trade houses of the capital facility entitled as "Central square "Samruk"” were commissioned. In the coming months, the trading house "Juan Shyngys" and the shopping and entertainment complex "Victoria City" will be opened for visitors.
On the Kazakh part of the ICBC, by the end of the year, it is expected to deliver about 20 facilities with an area of 400 - 30 000 square meters.
The official exchange rate as of May 18 was 327.11 KTZ / USD