BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 24. Projects on expanding the capacity of The Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR, Middle Corridor) and laying a fiber-optic communication line (FOCL) along the bottom of the Caspian Sea are the core elements of current interaction between Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan and are of great geo-economic importance not only for them, but for all countries in the region, Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Azerbaijan Serzhan Abdykarimov told Trend.
Commenting of the results of President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev's visit to Azerbaijan, he noted that, indeed, the first official visit of the Head of state became historic and symbolic, since it took place on August 24 on the eve of the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the countries (August 27). As President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev emphasized, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan are close states, strategic partners and allies.
"The visit the leaders once again confirmed the course towards rapprochement by adopting a joint Declaration on strengthening strategic relations and deepening allied cooperation. This document, in fact, summed up a certain result of the 30-year period of Kazakh-Azerbaijani relations and marked the beginning of their new stage,” Abdykarimov said.
Disclosing the details of the visit, he said that the personal meeting of the President and negotiations in expanded format showed that Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan have no contradictions in political views, controversial or problematic issues.
"Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan have the same view on many issues on international agenda, have common approaches to the issues on further development of Turkic integration.The agreement on the establishment of the Interstate Council for Cooperation between Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan, which will be headed by the presidents themselves is also an evidence to this. Naturally, this allows both parties to see great prospects in building the future in the relations, opening up new horizons for cooperation in the areas of trade, investment, transport, logistics, energy, information technology, agriculture, culture, education and many others. The outlines of this cooperation in the short and medium term perspective are also indicated in over 20 documents signed during the visit," Abdykarimov noted.
He briefly spoke about the economic sector, noting that both countries are facing the task of increasing mutual trade to $1 billion in the near future.
"Both parties agreed to stimulate mutually beneficial supplies of goods and services, new areas of cooperation and joint projects. Both countries have certain hopes, considering the activities of trading houses and the Kazakh-Azerbaijani Business Council, the creation and first meeting of which took place during the visit. At the initial stage, the Council included 24 Kazakh and 35 Azerbaijani companies interested in developing business relations with their partners," Abdykarimov said.
"Of course, joint steps were discussed related to matters of expanding the capacity of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (Middle Corridor), laying a fiber-optic communication line (FOCL) along the bottom of the Caspian Sea, and diversifying exports of Kazakh oil. These projects are the core elements of the current interaction between Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan, they are of great geo-economic importance not only for them, but for all countries of the region," he said.
According to the ambassador, traditionally attention has been paid to the issues of cultural and humanitarian cooperation. Decisions were made that added a few more connecting spiritual threads between Azerbaijani and Kazakh fraternal peoples. Turkistan and Shusha as well as Uralsk and Mingachevir became sister cities, mutual contacts of which will only contribute to the rapprochement of the states.
"President Tokayev announced that one of major avenues of Kazakh capital (Astana) will be named after the National Leader of the Azerbaijani people Heydar Aliyev, during the final press conference. This decision is absolutely justified,” Abdykarimov said.
He also noted that Decade of Azerbaijani Culture in Kazakhstan, which was also agreed upon during the visit, will undoubtedly be successful.
"A good touch to the meeting of the presidents was the presentation of the project of the Center for the Development of Children's Creativity named after Kurmangazy, the construction of which will be carried out in Azerbaijan's Fuzuli city by the end of next year. The construction of this facility will be fully covered by the Kazakh side and transferred to Azerbaijan as a gift from the fraternal Kazakh people.Kazakhstan is also very grateful to the leadership of Azerbaijan for naming one of the central streets in Sumgait after the Kazakh educator and Turkologist Akhmet Baitursynov," Abdykarimov added.
"In general, the visit of the President of Kazakhstan to Azerbaijan's Baku was very successful. I am confident that the agreements reached will significantly intensify bilateral cooperation and bring relations between both countries to a new level,” he said.