Kazakhstan, Astana /corr Trend K.Konirova / The Ministry of Transport and Communication of Kazakhstan informed a Trend correspondent in Astana that a trilateral meeting between Azerbaijan, Georgia and Kazakhstan is to be held in Aktau in May to discuss problems of transportation. The agreement was made during a recent visit by Karim Masimov, the Prime Minister of Kazakhstan, to Azerbaijan.
The major item on the agenda is the increase of competitiveness of the Aktau-Poti-Batumi route and the Aksaray-Baku-Poti route, as well as the reduction of transport tariffs along the territory of the three countries on certain types of cargo. The sides came to an agreement to encourage cargo transportation in both directions upon the construction of a new railway route.
The sides have also agreed to continue cooperating on the implementation of a project on the construction of a new oil refining plant in Batumi to provide the oil production companies of Kazakhstan a direct exit to the Black Sea. There are also plans to continue work on the search of economically reasonable routes for delivery of Kazakh gas to Georgia.
The sides have also come to an agreement on putting forward concrete proposals on the construction of a grain terminal in the Poti port by the end of the year. Furthermore, the Georgian side suggested considering an increase in Georgian agriculture supplies to Kazakhstan.
The sides also agreed to develop proposals on a new telecommunication and information corridor connecting the Caspian and Black Sea basin countries.
The Ministries of Finance of the two countries in cooperation with national banks were challenged to arrange in three months a draft agreement between the governments of Kazakhstan and Georgia on the restructuring of Georgia's debt to Kazakhstan. The sides also undertook the development of a draft Memorandum on Cooperation and Mutual understanding in tourism by the end of the year.