ASTANA, Kazakhstan, September 25. Kazakh companies invested almost $200 million in the economy of Kyrgyzstan in 2022, which is 2.5 times more than in 2021, said Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Alikhan Smailov, Trend reports.
"Kyrgyzstan is an important trading partner of Kazakhstan. Thus, mutual trade has shown steadily rising dynamics in recent years. The target of $1 billion in trade turnover was already achieved in 2021, and at the end of 2022, the figure was improved by another 19 percent," Smailov said at the First Forum of Interregional Cooperation between Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.
As the PM noted, today countries face a more ambitious goal - to increase trade volume to $2 billion. For this, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan have all the opportunities that they should actively use.
Smailov noted that, at the same time, effective investment cooperation has been established between the countries. Since 2005, Kazakh companies have invested almost $1.3 billion in the economy of Kyrgyzstan.
"In Kazakhstan, 3,500 joint ventures are successfully operating, and about 200 new companies have joined their ranks since last year. Undoubtedly, the possibilities for our investment cooperation are much wider, and we are interested in the further implementation of joint projects," he added.
Along with this, following the results of two days of the forum, a number of commercial documents worth about $65 million were signed, providing for the supply of poultry meat, medical and confectionery products, complex microfertilizers, ammophos, sodium cyanide, limestone, and shale, the provision of trade intermediary services, as well as the implementation of initiatives in light industry and banking.