Kazakhstan, Astana, Aug.8 /Trend D.Mukhtarov/
In 2013 Kazakhstan will cease to be a rival to Russia's and Ukraine's grain exports in the Black Sea region, President of Grain Union of Kazakhstan Nurlan Tleubayev said in Astana during the videoconference, "Astana - Moscow - Kyiv" on "Food Security: forecasts, risks, concerns" on Wednesday.
He noted that it is expected to open Kazakhstan-Turkmenistan-Iran railway, as well as the railway connection between Georgia and Turkey, which will open new directions for Kazakhstan grain exports.
"We refuse to transit through Russia. We have a port of Aktau, our cars will pass through the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan, Georgia and will reach Turkey," Tleubayev said.
He also noted that a lot of grain flows will go by rail to China and Iran.
An intergovernmental agreement on the project North-South was signed between Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Iran in 2007. The projected volume of traffic on this route amounts to 10 million tons per year.