BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 25. Kazakhstan and China reached an agreement to restart the operations of the “Khorgos” checkpoint, Alikhan Smailov, the Prime Minister of Kazakhstan, said, Trend reports, citing the press service of the PM.
Smailov noted that the checkpoint will be opened soon.
Reopening the border crossing between Kazakhstan and China is expected to offer additional logistical opportunities to businesses, which will positively impact transport potential of Kazakhstan. The Khorgos checkpoint serves as an alternative route to maritime transport.
The checkpoint was closed in 2019 due to the outbreak of COVID-19 in China.
China and Kazakhstan enjoy a fruitful relationship, with Beijing being one of Astana’s top trade partners. Earlier, it was revealed that trade between the two nations reached $31.2 billion in 2022. The countries intend to increase the volume of bilateral trade to $35 billion by 2030.